Fire in Pure Oxygen: Color & Spectrum

In summary, the color of a flame depends on the material being oxidized, with sodium producing a yellow flame. In pure oxygen, the reaction is faster and the flame is hotter, causing the colors to change from red to yellow to white to bluish. However, emissions from excited substances may become more intense but will not change color.
  • #1
munky99999
202
0
What colour is fire if your burning whatever in a room that is pure O2.

rather then in normal air at a campfire which has a lot of other chemicals; like nitrogen.

and does it follow that one experiment where say hydrogen burns as only 1 frequency of the spectrum
 
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  • #2
The color of the flame is going to depend on the material that you are oxidizing. Sodium is a pretty yellow, for instance. You should see what happens to a suit of clothes when it is soaked in a solution of sodium chlorate and allowed to dry. Just throw a cigarette at the scarecrow and watch it disappear in a flash of intense yellow flame. We used to do this at the pulp mill as a safety demonstration for the people who had to unload rail cars of the stuff.
 
  • #3
In pure oxygen you may expect reaction to be faster - more heat is produced per time unit and in result flame or surroundings are hotter. Thus colors will change - red to yellow, yellow to white, white will become bluish. Note that I am referring only to colors of thermal emission, emissions from excited substances will not change its color, they can get more intense.
 

1. What causes the color in fire when it burns in pure oxygen?

The color in fire is caused by the release of energy in the form of light. When a substance burns, the atoms in the substance are excited and release energy in the form of photons, which are the particles that make up light. The color of the fire depends on the temperature and the type of atoms that are being excited.

2. Why does fire burn with a different color in pure oxygen compared to air?

In pure oxygen, the flame burns at a higher temperature than in air because there is more oxygen available to react with the fuel. This higher temperature causes the atoms in the flame to emit more energy in the form of light, resulting in a different color. In air, the flame burns at a lower temperature and produces a different spectrum of light.

3. How does the color of fire change as the oxygen concentration increases?

As the oxygen concentration increases, the flame burns at a higher temperature and produces a higher energy spectrum of light. This results in a change in color, usually from red to blue. The exact color change depends on the type of fuel and the temperature of the flame.

4. Is the color of fire in pure oxygen predictable or consistent?

The color of fire in pure oxygen is predictable to a certain extent, as it depends on the type of fuel and the temperature of the flame. However, it may not be consistent due to variations in the fuel and other factors such as impurities in the oxygen. Additionally, the color may also change as the fire burns and the temperature changes.

5. Can the color of fire in pure oxygen be used to identify the type of fuel?

In some cases, the color of fire in pure oxygen can be used to identify the type of fuel being burned. For example, copper will produce a green flame, while sodium will produce a yellow flame. However, this method is not always reliable as the color can be affected by other factors such as impurities in the fuel or oxygen. Other methods, such as spectroscopy, are more accurate for identifying fuels.

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