Oil Lamp Solution

[Vanyo]

Should I not post the answer to this? I don't want to spoil it, but that's why we have this forum, no?
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Add water. The oil will float on top.

[OcularGold]

ARRRRGHHHH - that was my solution - you beat me to it.

You just need to be careful in not adding too much water, but thats obvious....

[wordcross]

The way to assure the LONGEST burning of the candle would be to add the same amout of water as there is oil in the glass. This would raise the bottom level of the oil to the bottom of the wick, thus allowing all of the oil to be burned before the candle will go out.

[Ghost Post]

Well, as much as I think that it would be a spoiler, isn't that why people would come here to chat about the puzzle, which includes the SOLUTION?
Anyway, here is my solution, not that it is right or the only way to do it.
Fill the oil reservoir with water until the water level is just under the wick. Oil and water do not mix, and the oil will layer above the water right in to the wicks reach.
Any other ideas?
D-

[Quailman]

An obvious solution... but did anyone else notice that Skinny has opened his own place. I can't tell if it's a restaurant, nightclub or bar, but he gives out nice matches.

[jesternl]

Although this answer is, at least I think so, perfectly correct, isn't it just *too* simple?



------------------
GRTZ,
Jester
http://www.geocities.com/jesternl/antibill.html

[jesternl]

I mean, there should be more to it, ofr a more elegant solution.

------------------
GRTZ,
Jester
www.geocities.com/jesternl/antibill.html

[jesternl]

I mean, there should be more to it, ofr a more elegant solution.

[Boeuftete]

I believe that you could also take the bottom 1/2" of one of the matches, and stick it in the end of the tube that hangs in the oil. It would take a few minutes for the wood to soak through, but I think that it would be effective to pass the oil through.

------------------
IN THEORY everything is clear but nothing works right.
IN PRACTICE everything works but nobody can understand why.
UNIFYING THEORY AND PRACTICE makes everything fail in ways nobody can understand.

[hank]

The add water solution seems simple enough, but how do you add the water? Pull the wick and pour water in through the skinny tube? I don't think so. Reinsert the wick and all that in a couple of minutes? Hmmmm. I cannot see any orifice with which to refill the oil.

[This message has been edited by hank (edited 11-02-2000).]

[Boeuftete]

Alternatively, you could just bust open the lamp, pour the oil over whatever you were fixing for dinner, wait for your date, add a lit match, and call it Flambe.

------------------
IN THEORY everything is clear but nothing works right.
IN PRACTICE everything works but nobody can understand why.
UNIFYING THEORY AND PRACTICE makes everything fail in ways nobody can understand.

[wordcross]

In response to Hank's question about how to refill the candle, the puzzle implies that the candle can be re-filled, as is supported by the fact that he is not looking for another candle, he is looking for more oil, which would show that he is going to re-fill the candle. The method of doing so is irrelevant, as long as the level of the oil rises after the water being added. Otherwise, the unused oil is simply wasted, as is the unburned wick.

[DropOfaHat]

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION!!!


My first thought was to add water, as well. Then it occurred to me that perhaps the sides were triangular for a reason...

My solution addresses (better yet, eliminates!) the question of how (or if, indeed) the candle is/can be refilled.

If you turn the whole candle contraption onto one of it's non-hypoteneuse (well, they LOOK like right angles, but it doesn't matter) sides, the wick will be submerged in the oil. Assuming the wick/hole assembly is water/oil-tight, it will burn for quite while longer (although not indefinitely - there will be a point when the oil will drop below the level of the wick) but it will certainly be longer than leaving it as is!

I don't know if this is a "better" answer than adding water but it's certainly simpler...

any thoughts??


[This message has been edited by DropOfaHat (edited 11-02-2000).]

[DropOfaHat]

Hmmph. I'm re-thinking my solution. If the wick is entirely encased in glass, and therefore the only "entry point" for oil is through the bottom end where the oil almost reaches, then my solution won't work. But if oil can be absorbed at any point in the wick, then it will.

Another alternative - maybe rest one side (triangle) on the matchbox, there by raising the oil level (on one side, including near the wick) a smidgen?

Oh, heck, maybe you just add water after all... (I still like the idea of turn=ing it on one side, though...)

[firemeboy]

And using just what is in the picture, it seems to me that the wick would pull out, and you could put the matches in the lamp one by one to raise the level of the oil.

[Ghost Post]

You could use the matches. But then, I don't think an oil lamp full of matches is exactly the most attractive centerpiece for this occasion. It would look more like an ashtray.

[DropOfaHat]

Would the matches sink in oil? If not (and I'm not sure, I'm just asking) then of course they won't raise the level of the oil.

[Kurto]

My solution isn't as good at the water one, but if you added marbles to displace the oil, it would raise the level, and add a little color to the candle.

------------------
The dove dove into the bush.

[howdydoody]

Dropofahat, just so you know inserting the matches will also raise the level of the oil regardless of whether it floats or sinks do to bouyancy (spelling?). It will raise it by the volume of oil that is equivalent to the weight of the matches in oil. e.g. think of a cup of water filled to the very brim and now try to put a ping pong ball on top!

Cheers!

[DropOfaHat]

No argument here, Howdy - but whether they sink or float matches don't weight much, and wouldn't raise the oil level much. I was more curious about whether they'd sink or float - they're both lighter than water, I wonder...

How would you get marbles into the lamp?!?

[Oren]

Let's assume just for a second that the water solution is wrong, even though I don't think it is wrong, as it does seem to make pretty damn good, but suppose it's wrong. Another solution, based solely off of the picture, is to turn the wick upside down. The wick sticks out on top and not on bottom, so turmnign it upside down would extend the wick enough to reach the oil. The next problem is that you then have no wick on the side taht needs to burn, but I'm pretty sure an oil lamp will burn even if the wick is enitrely enclosed in the casing. Or you can pull it out just enough so that it has a small flame and can still reach the oil. Any thoughts?

[Alfie]

Actually, marbles was my solution. Get blue and green marbles and a hammer. Smash them into shards that fit in the hole and you have a nice-looking setup with enough oil!

[bartsimpson]

You just need to add water until the bottom of the oil is above the bottom of the wick. As long as you dont wet the wick with water in the process, it should still suck up the oil and not the water.

We can assume there is a way to easily refuel the lamp because the oil will run out at some stage, and it would not be practical to buy a new lamp everytime it ran out of fuel.

(The marble idea is cool!)

[evil_little_bugger]

i think that most likely the water is the correct way.
but if you put matches into the jar they will float there fore not displacing oil but air.
also if you could get whole marbles into the jar there would still be a space in between the marbles meaning you would lose oil.
i think if you used the smashed up marbles idea or coloured sand you could also raise the level of the oil.
one last thing would be to crack open the top of the jar and through in a lit match from a little distance away,this way could cause a minor explosion or a nice bonfire on your table.
why does he not just bye a half decent candle thing

Greed is for amateurs. Disorder, chaos, anarchy: now that's fun!

evil_little_bugger

[jesternl]

But if he doesn't have any oil, how big are the chances he has marbles in the house? And remember he only has a minute or two before his date arrives, so whatever the solution, it can't take too much time.



------------------
GRTZ,
Jester
www.geocities.com/jesternl/antibill.html

[firemeboy]

I also think that the water idea is correct, but as an alternate, most wicks are made of a bunch of little strings wrapped together. If it is a cheap wick, you could tear the wick in half lenthgwise, leaving one end still connected. The wick would be twice as long, and would reach the oil.

[Quailman]

FMB: He already though of that:

[Ghost Post]

I like the water idea, and I don't think turning it on another angle would help, but here's a new one. If you have the matches as shown in the picture, couldn't you simply break the tip off of one of the matches and stick it in the wick casing, and put the wick back in over top of it. Since the match is wood, it should soak up the oil and transfer it to the wick, and if the match will easily slide into the wick casing, the match would be easier to remove than the water.......

[hank]

You can't modify the wick Fink, and I think the matches are red herrings.The diameter of the matches are larger than the id of the glass tube anyway.

[Ghost Post]

at first, i thought the water thing may work, but that idea seems to easy. what if he poured a plain salad dressing (the oil part of oil and vinegar) wherever he should pour the oil in?

i've seen it work with a soda can, a shoestring, and salad dressing before...

[Welcom.B]

What if he yanked the wick out, tear out a shrad of table cloth long enough and stuff it down where the wick had been.

[tv snake]

Break it open and pour all of the oil over your food for a nice flambé. It will even light up the room.

Is that how you spell it?

[wendug]

put water in the lamp and the oil will float to the top

[evil_little_bugger]

my idea is the best

Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals... except the weasel.

[Ghost Post]

Oren - if you've never used an oil lamp, you need to know that the wick DOES need to extend out of the glass tube to allow oxygen to reach the burning oil. Adjustable lamps are turned off by turning the wick down into its enclosure, thus "snuffing" it out. This lamp would be unlightable, or only burn very briefly, with the wick assembly inverted. Raising the level of the oil by displacement is the only apparent way.

Lifting one end of the lamp would result in the SAME oil level at the wick, assuming it is at the midpoint of the lamp. Similarly, turning the lamp would rotate the end of the wick FURTHER away from the surface of the oil.

[ELEMETNALS]

I THINK THE WATER SOLUTION IS ONE ANSWER BUT I ALSO THOUGHT OF ANOTHER ONE THAT MIGHT WORK. WHAT IF YOU PULLED THE WICK UP A LITTLE OUT OF THE GLASS CASING AND THEN PUSHED THE GLASS CASING DOWN A THIS WOULD CREATE AN ANSWER THAT IS WORKABLE ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF PYSICS. THE FIRE BURNING WOULD CREATE VACCUM IN THE TUBE THAT WOULD SUCK UP THE OIL.

(AND I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT SOMETHING TO THE DINGBAT WHO SAID YOU COULD'NT MODIFY THE WICK. HIS EXACT WORDS WERE, "THE LACK OF MATERIALS AND THE GLASS CASING MADE THIS DIFFICULT" HE DID NOT SAY IMPOSSIBLE.

[ELEMETNALS]

HELLO

[ELEMETNALS]

HELLO PEOPLES

[Quailman]

ELEMETNALS: I believe I am the dingbat of whom you speak. First let me say "STOP SHOUTING!" Second, the oil is drawn up the wick through capillary action. If it does not touch the wick, it is not going to span the gap between the surface and the wick due to some "vaccum" (sic). The flame will go out. But before this happens, you will spill oil all over yourself just before your date arrives. A fine impression that will make! You need to work on you first impressions.

[Vanyo]

Even if there were a vacuum in the tube, it would suck air into the tube from outside, and not suck anything from the interior of the container. If the vacuum in the tube sucked something from inside the container, you'd have a vacuum in the container.

WHO'S THE DINGBAT NOW???

BWAH HA HA HA HA HA!!!!