Smartphone apps: Extinguish candles with sound waves

In recent years, technological innovations have become an integral part of our daily lives. Smartphones, once primarily used for calling and texting, have now become versatile tools capable of surprising us with their functions. One of the more unusual features offered by modern apps is the ability to blow out a candle. Although it sounds like science fiction, apps using sound waves or other advanced technologies allow for these minor experiments. How exactly does this innovation work, and which apps are worth trying? We invite you to read on!

The process involves generating a specific sound from the speaker, which moves the air. Despite the small size of a phone's speaker, its power is sufficient to move the air enough to extinguish the candle flame. You simply need to hold the speaker about one centimetre from the wick to make this trick possible, enhancing your gatherings with friends.

The YouTube channel The Action Lab explains why this candle-blowing method is effective. The key factor is the different air movement during the "vacuuming" process by the speaker and its subsequent "pushing out". During the second phase, the air is directed more precisely, which speeds up its movement.

You don't necessarily need an app specifically called "candle blower." A program that generates a sine wave can be effective, and an appropriate sound file saved on the phone can also do the job. Apps allowing manual adjustment of frequency can be even more effective, giving you the ability to tailor the tone to the situation.

For those interested, these apps are available on the Play Store and App Store. To find them, it's best to use the English search term "blow candle."