Editing Burning Salts (section)

== Why This Works ==

''Wave Chromatography'' is when you identify an element or several elements in a material by looking at what wavelengths of light it gives off. When you excite an atom of any element, or give extra energy to an atom, it may release the extra energy as light. the colors of light that an atom will give off are unique to the atom, meaning that atoms of Lithium will always give a different set of colors than atoms of Potassium. We get to see this effect by burning the metal salts in ethanol, and can see as each salt gives out a different color.

This effect is something that you may have already known, but never thought about. The majority of paints get their colors simply by adding a dye, which are often complex molecules. However, some dyes we use have very simple names, like "Cobalt Blue" and "Titanium White". This is because these element salts reflect these very specific colors, and if you were to heat up a titanium salt or a cobalt salt you would see these colors!

It is worth noting that elements do give off more than one color. For this experiment, we use two Copper salts, which one gives off a blue color and the other a green color. This is because Copper, like most metals, can have different numbers of electrons when it bonds with other elements, and this can affect the color that you see it give off. In this case, Copper Sulfate will give a blue flame, because the Copper has (and holds onto) two additional electrons. For the Copper(II) Chloride, it gives a green color because there is actually a reaction taking place. Copper(II) Chloride, when heated, will give off a blue flame, but it will also lose a single chlorine, becoming Copper(I) Chloride, which gives off a yellow flame. Since the salt is giving off a yellow and blue flame mix, we see a green flame!