The magic behind

Coloured Flame Candles

Kuen

Dr. Hui Chi

Birthday cakes and candles The birthday cake has been an integral part of birthday celebrations in Western cultures. It is often decorated with taper candles. Recently, some delightful birthday cake candles that burn with amazing coloured flames are available on the market. The magic behind coloured flame candles Coloured flame candles are a type of candles that generate coloured flames when burning. They are made from chemicals that contain metallic ions. This works on the scientific principle that, when heated, the electrons of metallic ions and other compound molecules transmit from a high energy level state to a lower one. During the transition, energy is released in the form of colour light. For example, if you throw common table salt (sodium chloride) into a fire, the fire will generate a golden yellow light. Colours in fireworks are also generated by similar chemical principles.

Some of the more common colour-producing compounds are tabulated here. Colour Brick red Golden yellow Apple green Lilac Chemical Lithium salts Sodium salts Copper salts Potassium salts

Flame Test A flame test is a procedure used in chemistry to detect the presence of certain metals in chemical compounds based on the colour of the flame. To do the experiment: Wooden toothpicks Samples of different salts for testing. (Different salts are available in aquarium shops) A gas lighter Some water Safety precaution You should do this experiment under parents supervision. Procedure 1. Soak the wooden toothpicks in distilled water to wash out any impurities. 2. Then dip a toothpick in the sample to be tested. 3. Place one end of the toothpick into the flame of a gas lighter. 4. Observe any colour changes, but be careful not to leave the splint in too long as it may catch fire! Not all compounds can produce a coloured flame. Certain metal ions will give the flame very distinctive colours, which can then help identify the presence of a particular metal in a compound. However, some colours are produced by several different metal ions, making it hard to determine the exact ion in the compound. Some colours are very weak and are easily masked by the background flame colour.