Fire has great importance in our daily life. Its reason is that we are using fire for various purposes like we are using it for generating heat, we are using it for generating light and we are also using it for cooking food, etc. There are various ways to generate fire like stoves, ovens, and Bunsen burners etc. While generating fire, we also notice that these flames have different shapes and colors but most of the fire flames have a yellow, red, or blue color. When we see the yellow, red, or blue color of the fire flame, a question comes to our mind ‘Why is the color of fire yellow, red, or blue?’.
Elements of Fire
Before getting an idea about the different colors of fire, we should try to know about the elements of fire. To understand the elements of fire, we should try to know about the fire triangle. In the fire triangle, there are three ingredients. We have explained these three ingredients.
1. Heat
For the initial ignition of the fire, first of all, we require a heat source. This heat source is also required to maintain the fire and to spread it in the surrounding area. With the help of heat, it is also possible for the fire to warm the surrounding area.
2. Fuel
Any kind of combustible material which is required to produce fire is known as fuel. It is easy for us to characterize the fuel into different categories on the basis of size, shape, and quantity, etc. The moisture content of this fuel also tells us how easy or difficult will be fire produced.
3. Oxygen
The burning of fire is a chemical process and Oxygen is known as the main ingredient of this chemical process. The percentage of Oxygen in the air is almost 21% and most of the fires require just 16% of Oxygen for the burning process. Therefore, we can also say that the burning of fire is also an oxidation process. In order to burn fuel, there requires Oxygen from the surrounding area.
Related article: Why does the human eye see different colors?
Why is the Color of Fire Yellow?
The chemical makeup of the flame is the main factor that determines the color of the fire. In the chemical makeup of the flame, there come two things. First of all, what you are burning, and secondly, what is the temperature of the flame? The chemical combination of wood, paper, and hydrocarbon fuels is such that it gives either yellow color to the fire or a reddish-orange color to the fire. Moreover, the yellow or reddish-orange color of the fire is also due to the presence of carbon particles in the flame.
How Does the Colour of Fire Change?
It is also a fact that if we are burning different fuels, the colors of their fire are also different. It is due to the difference in the flame temperature. Moreover, it is also possible for us to change the colors of fire by changing the accessibility of the fire. If we restrict the accessibility of Oxygen, the color of fire will be dim red. In a similar way, if we are burning fuel in the higher accessibility of Oxygen, it will burn all the Carbon atoms before creating color. Under such a situation, the color of the flame will be blue.
Different Colors of Fires and Their Temperatures
As we have discussed earlier that the temperature of different colors of fire is different. Here, we will discuss the three main colors of fire and their temperature ranges. If the temperature of the fire is between 600-1000°C, its color will be red. On the other hand, if the temperature of the fire is between 1000-1200°C, its color will be yellow. In a similar way, if the temperature of the fire is between 1200-1400°C, its color will be blue. Therefore, we can say that the blue flame is known as the hottest flame.
