COLOURED FIRE

Location: At the head of either table with gas taps for Bunsen burners 

Materials/Equipment

The colours  (preferably three of each in those small flaming colours bottles)

• Strontium 

• Lithium 

• Zinc

• Sodium

• Calcium

• Barium

• Copper

• Potassium

Equipment

• 5 heat proof mats

• 4 smaller heat proof mats

• 16 vaulves

• 8 tongs

• 8 spatulas

• 2 500ml water filled beakers

• 2 Bunsen burners

• 3 or more bottles of methylated sprites

• 1 bag of cotton balls

Method

1. get a cotton ball and put one in a vaulve

2.  pour about 4 swirts  of methylated sprites 

3. get your choice of salt for your choice of colour and put two spatulas worth of the salt on the cotton ball

4. rub the salt around the cotton ball so you get colour in all places

5. pick up your salted and meth soaked cotton ball and wave it over the Bunsen burner to light it

6. enjoy the wonderful flames

7. when the fire starts to die/smoke or when you get bored quickly place it in your vaulve and put a lid on it

8.  wait 2 - 3 minutes for the smoke to fully go away

9.  then place the waste in the 500ml water filled becker

10.  repeat steps 1 - 9 if you want another colour or to do it again

Science 

different salts  -> different electron configurations -> different levels heat energy gained -> different levels of light energy released -> different colours

when fire heats it makes the electron in the salt vibrate and make kinetic energy, they need to release this energy other they are unstable and they do so by letting light energy go and since there is different salts with different electron configurations we get different colours