Wax facts for kids

Wax (more precisely Beeswax) is a chemical substance. It is used by honeybees to build honeycombs. Beeswax (and other waxes) have the following properties:

They are soft, and easy to shape at room temperature
Their melting point is above 45 °C
They cannot be dissolved in water
They are hydrophobic, that is repelled by water.

Some waxes, like beeswax, carnauba (a vegetable wax), and paraffin (a petroleum wax) occur naturally. Another such wax is earwax, which occurs in the human ear. Other waxes may be manufactured.

Chemically, a wax may be an ester of ethylene glycol (ethan-1,2-diol) and two fatty acids. A fat is an ester of glycerin (propan-1,2,3-triol) and three fatty acids. A wax may also be a combination of other fatty alcohols with fatty acids. It is a type of lipid.

Images for kids

Ceroline brand wax for floors and furniture, first half of 20th century. From the Museo del Objeto del Objeto collection
Wax candle.
A typical modern wax sculpture of Cecilia Cheung at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.
Wax-decorated Easter eggs as made in Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
A lava lamp is a novelty item that contains wax melted from below by a bulb. The wax rises and falls in decorative, molten blobs.
Cetyl palmitate, a typical wax ester.
Commercial honeycomb foundation, made by pressing beeswax between patterned metal rollers.