What is the chemcial equation for the burning of a candle?

The most popular type of candle wax used today is paraffin wax. The chemical composition of paraffin wax is commonly referred to as C25H52 (carbon and hydrogen). However, the actual number of carbon atoms can typically range form 22 to 27. A wax molecule is known as a long hydrocarbon with its general chemical formula being CnH2n+2, with n being a varying number of carbon atoms (22-27). Although the chemical composition of the wax is always carbon and hydrogen, the actual number of atoms will vary based on the exact origin of the wax.

So the general equation using C25H52 is,

2(C25H52) + 76(O2) → 50(CO2) + 52(H2O)

The brackets are added to try to make it clearer in the absence of subscripts.

C25H52 + 38O2 => 25CO2(g) + 26H2O

C25H52 is wax