{
  "id": "candle",
  "version": "597dff285a8b",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Candle Calculator",
  "question": "How much candle wax do I need?",
  "summary": "A candle wax calculator: how much wax and fragrance oil to melt for your containers, from the water each one holds, the wax-to-water ratio and the fragrance load.",
  "category": "everyday-life",
  "subcategory": "fun",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/everyday-life/candle-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/everyday-life/candle-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Fill = water the container holds × 0.998 kg/L × wax-to-water weight; wax = fill ÷ (1 + load); fragrance = wax × load; × the number of candles.",
  "assumptions": [
    "Wax and fragrance oil weigh about 0.86 of the same volume of water; the ratio can be changed for your wax.",
    "The fragrance load is a percent of the wax weight, as most wax makers state it.",
    "Water weighs 0.998 kg per liter at 20 °C; the container is measured to the fill line."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "cap": {
        "title": "Container holds",
        "description": "The water one container holds, filled to where the wax will reach.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "volume",
        "minimum": 0.0000029573529562500004,
        "maximum": 0.295735295625
      },
      "n": {
        "title": "Number of candles",
        "description": "How many containers of this size you will fill.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 1,
        "maximum": 100000
      },
      "fl": {
        "title": "Fragrance load",
        "description": "Fragrance oil as a percent of the wax weight; check your wax’s maximum, often 6% to 12%.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 50
      },
      "r": {
        "title": "Wax-to-water weight",
        "description": "How much the wax and oil weigh for the same volume of water; 0.86 is the usual rule.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0.5,
        "maximum": 1.5
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "wax": {
      "label": "Wax to melt",
      "description": "Wax for all the candles: fill ÷ (1 + fragrance load).",
      "format": "quantity",
      "unit": "oz"
    },
    "fragrance": {
      "label": "Fragrance oil",
      "description": "Oil for all the candles: wax × fragrance load.",
      "format": "quantity",
      "unit": "oz"
    },
    "fill": {
      "label": "Total fill",
      "description": "Wax and oil for all the candles: water weight × wax-to-water weight.",
      "format": "quantity",
      "unit": "oz"
    },
    "waxEach": {
      "label": "Wax per candle",
      "description": "The wax for one container.",
      "format": "quantity",
      "unit": "oz"
    },
    "fragranceEach": {
      "label": "Fragrance per candle",
      "description": "The fragrance oil for one container.",
      "format": "quantity",
      "unit": "oz"
    },
    "water": {
      "label": "Water weight per container",
      "description": "The container’s volume × 0.998 kg per liter.",
      "format": "quantity",
      "unit": "oz"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "cap": 0.0002365882365,
      "n": 1,
      "fl": 8,
      "r": 0.86
    },
    "outputs": {
      "wax": 0.1880175477992778,
      "fragrance": 0.015041403823942222,
      "fill": 0.20305895162322,
      "waxEach": 0.1880175477992778,
      "fragranceEach": 0.015041403823942222,
      "water": 0.236115060027
    },
    "text": "For 1 × 8 fl oz: melt 6.63 oz of wax and add 0.53 oz of fragrance oil."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "cap": 0.0002365882365,
        "n": 1,
        "fl": 8,
        "r": 0.86
      },
      "expect": {
        "water": 0.236115060027,
        "fill": 0.20305895162322,
        "wax": 0.18801754779927776
      },
      "source": "Tinware Direct, How To Calculate Wax For Candle Containers (the wax and fragrance weigh about 86% of the water the container holds; fragrance load is a percent of the wax weight), https://tinwaredirect.com/blogs/tips-advice/how-to-calculate-wax (retrieved 2026-10-03); USGS Water Science School, Water Density (about 0.998 g/cm³ at 20 °C), https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/water-density (retrieved 2026-10-03); hand calculation in content.mdx: 236.588 mL × 0.998 = 236.12 g; × 0.86 = 203.06 g (7.16 oz); ÷ 1.08 = 188.02 g (6.63 oz) of wax"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "cap": 0.0002,
        "n": 12,
        "fl": 10,
        "r": 0.86
      },
      "expect": {
        "waxEach": 0.15605090909090907,
        "fragrance": 0.1872610909090909
      },
      "source": "Tinware Direct, How To Calculate Wax For Candle Containers (the wax and fragrance weigh about 86% of the water the container holds; fragrance load is a percent of the wax weight), https://tinwaredirect.com/blogs/tips-advice/how-to-calculate-wax (retrieved 2026-10-03); USGS Water Science School, Water Density (about 0.998 g/cm³ at 20 °C), https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/water-density (retrieved 2026-10-03); hand calculation in content.mdx: 200 × 0.998 × 0.86 = 171.66 g per jar; ÷ 1.1 = 156.05 g wax, 15.61 g oil; × 12 = 1,872.6 g wax, 187.3 g oil",
      "tolerance": 1e-12
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Tinware Direct, How To Calculate Wax For Candle Containers (the wax and fragrance oil weigh about 86% of the water a container holds; fragrance load is a percent of the wax weight). https://tinwaredirect.com/blogs/tips-advice/how-to-calculate-wax (retrieved 2026-10-03)",
    "USGS Water Science School, Water Density (fresh water is about 0.998 g/cm³ at 20 °C). https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/water-density (retrieved 2026-10-03)"
  ],
  "related": [
    "unit-price",
    "cross-stitch"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}