What Is Fire and Why Is It Colored and Shaped That Way?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter MR
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Fire
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

Fire is a chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of heat, which vaporizes chemicals in the fuel, resulting in a flame composed of energetic molecules. The color of the flame is determined by the presence of specific chemicals in the fuel and the temperature of the fire, with higher temperatures producing different colors due to excited electrons transitioning to more stable orbitals. Additionally, the color of coals is attributed to black body radiation, which is also temperature-dependent.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of chemical reactions and energy release
  • Knowledge of excited electron states and atomic structure
  • Familiarity with temperature effects on flame color
  • Basic principles of black body radiation
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the relationship between flame color and chemical composition
  • Explore the concept of black body radiation in detail
  • Study the principles of thermodynamics as they relate to combustion
  • Investigate the role of temperature in chemical reactions
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, chemistry enthusiasts, educators, and anyone interested in the scientific principles behind fire and combustion.

MR
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
What is fire? I learned once upon a time that it's plasma, but that doesn't really get me anywhere... why is it colored/shaped the way it is/etc etc etc?
:bugeye:
thanx folks!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I asked both my physics teachers this a few weeks back.
I think i remember one of them saying that it was excited electrons, but i forgot what the other one said :frown:
 
about the colour, i think its related to the temperature of whatever is being set on fire, a higher temperature flame will be giving out more energy, therefore changing the colour of the flame.
 
Here are a few links to other threads about flame.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=51098&highlight=flame
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=39910&highlight=flame
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=28250&highlight=flame


Fire is the result of a chemical reaction. This reaction releases energy in the form of heat, the released heat, vaporizes chemicals in the fuel, these vapors are composed of energetic molecules which form the flame. The colors in the flame are created as excited electrons cascade to more stable orbitals within the molecular and or atomic structure. Thus the color of the flame is dependent on the chemicals present in the fuel.

The color of the coals on the other hand is essentially black body radiation, the color is determined by the temperature of the fire.
 
thanks, Integral!
 

Similar threads

High School Why is Fire Considered Conductive?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
5K
High School Why are things the color they are?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Writing: Input Wanted How to Handle a Fire Onboard a Generation Ship?
  • · Replies 74 ·
3
Replies
74
Views
7K
High School Can We Predict Fire Movement?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K
Undergrad Why does laser beam hit the same target when fired?
  • · Replies 90 ·
4
Replies
90
Views
4K
Another trick with Blender using geometry nodes
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
803
What Does Three-Alarm Fire Indicate in Emergency Codes?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
4K
High School What is the basic science behind fire?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
High School Conservation of Energy: Ball on a U-Shaped Ramp
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
807
Does creating fire break lines work to control forest fires?
  • · Replies 35 ·
2
Replies
35
Views
6K