Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    feresh786's Avatar
    feresh786 Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Feb 6, 2007, 08:29 PM
    Boiling salt in water
    When you added NaCl in water , you notice that when the water boils over,it causes the flame of the gas burner to turn bright orange.
    My question is, how would you explaine the appearance of the color in the flame ?
    worthbeads's Avatar
    worthbeads Posts: 538, Reputation: 45
    Senior Member
     
    #2

    Feb 6, 2007, 09:00 PM
    I think you sort of answered your own question. I would just say the color and perhaps how bright the flame gets. At least, that's how I would do it.
    Capuchin's Avatar
    Capuchin Posts: 5,255, Reputation: 656
    Uber Member
     
    #3

    Feb 7, 2007, 12:47 AM
    Hi,

    Worthbeads, I think the OP is after a physical explanation of the color of the flame.

    This is due to the Sodium Ions recombining with electrons in the flame.
    These electrons are then given energy by the flame. This raises the electron into a high state.
    The electron will then jump down to a lower energy state, as the higher energy state is less stable. When it does this it must lose energy, and it does this by emitting a photon. This photon in the case of Sodium is of a wavelength that corresponds to what we perceive as orange visible light. The energy emitted depends on the difference in energy between the higher state and the lower state. The more of an energy gap that the electron jumps, the higher energy the photon will be, this will appear bluer to us (until it goes into ultra-violet at least).

    Hope this answers your question.

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 

Check out some similar questions!

What is hotter, the boiling water or the steam? [ 7 Answers ]

What is hotter, the boiling water or the steam?

Why make an opening on a potato when boiling? [ 3 Answers ]

Why do people slice an opening on the potato when boiling it? Some poke a hole.

HELP- boiling eggs [ 3 Answers ]

I know its supposed to be the easiest thing to make, but I have incredible difficulty boiling eggs! What gives?? They either turn out not cooked enough, or the water evaporates, or the eggs explode in the water! Please help, I have tried every thing and the eggs never turn out right. What's the...

Smelly sink-dont use boiling water!Bad advice [ 3 Answers ]

HI, I just tried a method of getting rid of a smelly bathroom sink by adding 1/2 gal of bleach, letting it sit overnite, and then flushing it with boiling water. To my surprise and total dissapointment, my $500 pedestal sink cracked in half due to the hot water! No one ever mentioned anything about...


View more questions Search