Fabulous Fun Facts: How to Turn Fire Different Colors
Madison Company lives and breathes sensors, so of course we get a kick out of fun facts about sensor applications as well. See if you can guess where a sensor is used after you read this Fantastic Fun Fact! (Pssst…. You’ll find the answer in parentheses below!)
It’s summer – time for camping and bonfires. Have you ever wondered how to turn those leaping flames different colors?
IMPORTANT NOTE: Do this only after all cooking has been done on the fire and when there is little wind so that the smoke can rise up rather than blow into campers’ faces.
- Melt old candle wax in a double boiler.
- Get a bunch of small paper Dixie cups.
- Pour about 1/4 inch of chemical into each cup (see below for some common color options).
- Pour just enough melted wax into the cup to cover the chemical, and quickly stir it with an unfolded paperclip or other small stir rod. This is to thoroughly coat all of the chemical.
- Allow the mixture to thoroughly cool and then peel or cut off the sides of the paper cup. We leave the paper bottom on.
- Toss one of these patties into the hottest part of the fire. It will melt, and the show begins!
Mixing different chemicals will not make a new color. Just add one single type at a time, or place different kinds in different places within the fire.
| Chemical | Flame Change |
|---|---|
|
Potassium Chloride (water softener salt) |
PURPLE flame |
|
Copper Chloride |
BLUE flame |
|
Borax (laundry) |
LIGHT GREEN flame |
|
Copper Sulfate (tree root killer for plumbers) |
GREEN flame |
|
Alum |
GREEN flame |
|
Strontium Chloride |
RED flame |
|
Lithium Chloride |
RED flame |
|
Calcium Chloride |
ORANGE flame |
|
Sodium Chloride (table salt) |
YELLOW flame |
|
Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom salts) |
WHITE flame |
|
Sugar |
Sprinkle into fire for tiny sparks |
|
Powdered Coffee Creamer |
Throw a handful into the flames above the fire for small sparkly flashes |
|
Flour |
Toss a small amount into the flames to make a flash flame |
|
Iron Filings |
Toss a small bit into the flames to make gold sparks |
|
Powdered Aluminum |
Toss a small bit into the flames to make silver sparks |
|
Magnesium Shavings |
Toss a small bit into the flames to make very bright silver sparks |
* Thanks to WikiHow and The Campfire Dude for this enlightening info!
(So where is the sensor? Ok, so the chemicals are solids. But if you are camping in a trailer or self-contained vehicle, liquid level sensors are used in those RVs – especially in the holding tanks!)
