In chemistry lab, why should the Bunsen burner flame burn blue with light blue core? It doesn't make sense to me why there should be two shades of blue in the flame.
All replies are appreciated.
All replies are appreciated.
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Konan is correct. I would just add that the "flame" we see consists of glowing particles. (When they cool down - and no longer glow - we call them "smoke".)
The particles? Well, I've never been a good chemistry student - and you should temper my response with that information - but the propane or butane (... it's some "-pane") has impurities. I'm pretty sure that the correctly balanced equation for the exothermic reaction between the fuel and the oxygen available in your school lab shows water (and carbon dioxide?) + heat as the products. The formula doesn't show the impurities on the input side. The flame and smoke prove their existance!
The color of the particles is dependent upon their temperature. Their temperature - their color - is the only way you have to evaluate the efficiency of Mr. Bunsen's burner. A flame will always be cooler at its outer edges... and its color will reflect that temperature difference.
Think of it as the really hot (light) center fading to invisability, that is, cooling down so it no longer glows.
The particles? Well, I've never been a good chemistry student - and you should temper my response with that information - but the propane or butane (... it's some "-pane") has impurities. I'm pretty sure that the correctly balanced equation for the exothermic reaction between the fuel and the oxygen available in your school lab shows water (and carbon dioxide?) + heat as the products. The formula doesn't show the impurities on the input side. The flame and smoke prove their existance!
The color of the particles is dependent upon their temperature. Their temperature - their color - is the only way you have to evaluate the efficiency of Mr. Bunsen's burner. A flame will always be cooler at its outer edges... and its color will reflect that temperature difference.
Think of it as the really hot (light) center fading to invisability, that is, cooling down so it no longer glows.
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These burners usually uses methane gas as a fuel (CH4) and Oxygen (O2) in a redox reaction producing gaseous CO2 and gaseous H2O whne burning at its most efficient state. The flame is separated in two 'cones' becuse that is where the reactions are taking place, and how the heat is dispersed during the reaction. The flame is yellow and uncontrolled when it starts because there is not enough O2 reaching the combustion reaction for a totally clean reaction.
The reaction can be shown as this: CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (l)
The equation shows that the H2O produces comes in a liquid form, but due to the heat put off in the reaction, the H2O is most commonly vaporized and turns into a gas.
You can find a much larger explaination of combustion reactions on the website in my sources below.
The reaction can be shown as this: CH4 (g) + 2 O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (l)
The equation shows that the H2O produces comes in a liquid form, but due to the heat put off in the reaction, the H2O is most commonly vaporized and turns into a gas.
You can find a much larger explaination of combustion reactions on the website in my sources below.
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The color is blue because it is a very intense/concentrated flame.
There are different colors because at the middle, it is most concentrated, and this is a different color.
There are different colors because at the middle, it is most concentrated, and this is a different color.
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The lighter the color the hotter the flame meaning the light blue is hotter than the dark blue abd clear is the hotest of all. ^.^