• Question: what is the name of the blue flame on a bunsen burner

    Asked by mike007 to Sive on 10 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Sive Finlay

      Sive Finlay answered on 10 Nov 2013:

      Hi Mike,

      Hmm, I don’t know if it has a name other than “blue flame”. The flame turns blue when you open the collar of the bunsen to increase the flow of oxygen which means increased combustion and hotter temperatures which makes the flame turn blue – which always confused me because blue is usually considered to be a cold colour.
      Maybe we could make up a name to make it more exciting than just “blue flame”. I vote for “the warmer than yellow even though it’s a cool colour” flame but somehow I don’t think that will catch on…
      Sive

Comments

  • Photo: Michael

    Michael commented on :

    If I may add:

    IF you look at stars, blue stars have the highest temperature, so this is a more general phenomenon.

    It is likely you are going through the visible spectrum here: red is least energetic, then you go yellow, green, blue, violet as you move to higher energy. If you could increase the temperature of the BB flame, the colour would probably look violet. The yellow-orange safety flame is around 300 Degrees C, while the blue is at 500 – 700 degrees C.

    There is a definite misconception that something burning red is the hottest, it is actually down around the cooler end of things. The well known Blackbody also shows this effect.

    M

  • Photo: zebraperson72

    zebraperson72 commented on :

    Woah good answers 🙂