Testing Flame Colors With Different Chemicals

Shipman, Mick; Keith, Cameron; Parr, Nathan; Ruppel, Matt

High Tech High North County, San Marcos, California
Experimental Description
In the experiment different chemicals were burnt to see there flame colour and
how they reacted. These are the chemicals that were tested; Control (methanol), lithium
chloride, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, borax, copper (11)
sulfate and an unknown substance (can be referred to in the table). The first step is to
pour two droppers full of the control (methanol) into the glass. Then add the specific
chemical into the glass with the methanol and mix it with the glass stirring rod. Once the
chemical and methanol are mixed together a new match was grabbed out of the box, it
was light against the box, then it lights the mix of chemicals from the side to prevent
from burning anything other than the mix. The burnt match and put it into the beaker
so it cannot light anything else aflame. Then the was flame was observed and
everything that was noticed about the color was written into a table. Once the glass has
been cooled the designated person washed all the materials to have clean and consistent
results . Repeat this process until done with every chemical.
Compound Name

Formula

Flame Color

Control

CH3OH

Blue

Lithium Chloride

LiCl

Blue with a couple flares of red

and orange.

Calcium Chloride

CaCl2

Violet with orange flares

Calcium Carbonate

CaCO3

Blue

Potassium Chloride

KCl

Blue and Orange

Borax

Na2B4O7 * 10H2O

Green

Copper (11) Sulfate

CuSO4

Green (more defined) orange

and violet

Unknown

Blue Green and mostly Orange

Results

When the Potassium Chloride was burned it first lit blue, then hints of orange
creeped in. After a few moments later it took over the blue and orange became the
primary color. The unknown chemical that was burnt was a white powder just like all
the others (besides Copper (11) Sulfate). When burned it was very green at the top of the
flame, with the occasional orange flame, near the bottom of the flame it burned blue just
like most other experiments. After a little while though the flame turned completely
orange and started to bubble and sizzle. The borax that was tested was a white powder
before burnt. Once lit the fire was given a very green color that was very bright through
the entire flame. The calcium chloride started as a more solid substance but as stirred it
it loosened up and became more powder like. When burned in had a mostly blue flame
but would have an occasional bright red violet looking flame. When mixed, the lithium
chloride with the methanol it didnt change the color of the methanol and it was blue
mainly, but it began to have flares of bright red that stood out. The calcium carbonate
did nothing to the methanol and it just burnt blue throughout, no flares of any other
color. When, lit the methane and copper (11) sulfate mix it started out a green, a more
defined green than the borax, as it went on it orange and violet came into the flame.

Conclusions
While doing this lab, the biggest take away that was really interesting was the
amount of different colors and over all different reactions that were seen taking place.
Of course all of these different reactions happened because of the chemicals burned and
the level of electron energies. From this lab what was concluded was that the which ever
color the chemicals burn determines how much energy it has, violet being the highest
and red being the lowest, and that there are different chemicals that can create very
different reactions and different electron energy levels. The next step of research would
be figuring out how each chemical directly corresponds to a specific electron energy
level. Each chemical would be burned and each energy level would be measured
according to the color and which colors burn with higher energy.