Flames are really cool, right? They can be any color such as red, orange, yellow, green or even blue! Have you ever stopped and wondered what causes a flame to change colors?! Well, today we will be exposing the secret of why flames are colorful.

The Chemistry of Blaze Bright Flames

What we see as a flame is in fact little molecules combusting. As they burn, these molecules emit light and the color of the flame produced is dependent upon what kind of molecules are being burned. For instance, when burning wood, it produces a yellow-orange colored flame. Copper, however, if you burn that it burns with a really bright green flame….

The secret of the colors in flames

Basically, when you burn a thing, it burns a color (not literally because just like nopes). The reason for this lies within chemical reactions. One neat feature of burning molecules, is that when a molecule burns it generally releases light. The color of the fires that light up depends on the quantity of energy they emit. Sodium, for instance, burns using a brilliant yellow fire. Sodium, therefore, is used in streetlights on a sodium discharge lamp to produce yellow light.

Chemical Reactions That Make Colors in Flames

Simple right, lets a little in depth of chemical reactions responsible for change the color of flame. During burning of a molecule, the electrons present in molecules gets excited and then jumps to upper energy level. As these electrons drop down to their lower energy level, they emit light. These controls the color of the light that we see (the greater energy release, more blue and less green shape this energies).

The Ins And Outs Of FIre Coloration

Then why do flames change color at all? At its core, it boils down to what materials are on fire. When burning each component emits a unique color. Copper burns green and potassium gives a lilac colour. Chemists make the colors in fireworks (and other things) by adding various chemicals to a flame.

Why flames wear different collars under different circumstances

That's why flames can be blue or red, gold or silver… flames also change color depending of the fire temperature and other chemicals into the combustion. An example of this is how a hot flame will most often be blue in color because the molecules are burning very hot. Alternatively, if the fire has contaminants in it can also create colors. This is why a campfire or candle flame have variety of colors.

So, when anything burns, the color of the flame that comes out depends upon a series of chemical reactions that follow. So, by knowing all of these reactions that happen, we can begin to decode the mystery of the colors we see in flames. So, the next time you come across a perplexing multicolored flame, keep in mind that there is an entire realm of science responsible for its alluring allure. Therefore, continue exploring and discovering, who knows you might find some more secrets in the blazing world.