Mohan and Sohan were doing an experiment in which water was to be heated in a beaker. Mohan kept the beaker near the wick in the yellow part of the candle flame. Sohan kept the beaker in the outermost part of the flame. Whose water will get heated in a shorter time?
Combustion and Flame
Sohan’s water will get heated in a shorter time compared to Mohan’s water.
The hottest part of a candle flame is the inner blue region, while the outer yellow part of the flame is relatively cooler. By keeping the beaker in the outermost part of the flame, Sohan positioned it closer to the hotter region of the flame. This means that the heat energy from the flame will be transferred more efficiently to Sohan’s beaker, resulting in faster heating of the water.
On the other hand, Mohan’s beaker was placed near the wick in the yellow part of the flame, which is the cooler region. As a result, the heat transfer to Mohan’s beaker would be comparatively slower, and the water would take a longer time to heat up.
– Written By Ishika
Why is the color of the flame different for the combustion of different substances?
Flame color for different combustion
The color of a flame can vary depending on the substances being burned. It is primarily influenced by two factors: the temperature of the flame and the presence of specific chemical elements or compounds.
When a substance undergoes combustion, it reacts with oxygen in the air, releasing heat and light energy. The color of the flame is determined by the energy levels of the photons (light particles) emitted during this process. The energy levels, in turn, depend on the temperature of the flame.
In general, hotter flames tend to appear bluish or white, while cooler flames tend to be yellow, orange, or red. This is because hotter flames have more energy, resulting in the emission of higher-energy photons in the blue and white part of the spectrum. Cooler flames emit lower-energy photons in the yellow, orange, and red parts of the spectrum.
However, the presence of certain elements or compounds in the substance being burned can also significantly impact the color of the flame. Different elements and compounds have distinct atomic or molecular structures, which give rise to unique electronic energy levels. When these substances burn, the excited electrons within the atoms or molecules jump to higher energy levels and then return to their original states, emitting photons in the process. The specific energy levels and transitions involved determine the characteristic colors associated with those substances.
For example, burning sodium compounds produces a vibrant yellow flame, while burning copper compounds creates a green flame. These colors arise from the specific electronic transitions and energy levels of sodium and copper atoms, respectively.
In summary, the color of a flame during combustion is influenced by both the temperature of the flame and the presence of specific elements or compounds, which give rise to distinct electronic energy levels and transitions, resulting in the emission of photons of different colors.
– Written By Omkar Khatai
