How do different materials produce different colored flames when burned?

[kitkat]

why does the burning of different materials often produce flames of different colors?


I know that various colors of flames are due to excitation...but how is that applied here?

Kat

 

[chroot]

When you heat the sample up, you're exciting some of the atoms' electrons, which then fall to lower energy states and emit photons. Every element has a unique emission spectrum, due to the specific energy levels its electrons may have.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_test

- Warren

 

[kyle8921]

rina, this is a great question and one that has fascinated scientists for centuries. The colors of flames are indeed due to excitation, specifically the excitation of electrons in the atoms of the burning material. When a material is burned, the heat from the flame causes the atoms to become excited, meaning that their electrons jump to a higher energy state. As these excited electrons return to their ground state, they release energy in the form of light. The specific color of the light depends on the amount of energy released, which is determined by the type of atoms present in the material. Each element has a unique arrangement of electrons and therefore produces a unique spectrum of light when excited. This is why different materials produce different colored flames when burned. For example, copper produces a green flame, while sodium produces a yellow flame. This phenomenon is also used in flame tests, where scientists can identify the presence of certain elements by observing the color of the flame they produce. So, to answer your question, the burning of different materials often produces flames of different colors because of the unique arrangement of electrons in each material. I hope this helps to clarify the concept of excitation and its application in the color of flames.