Why does my candle turn blue?

The hot air simply diffuses in the surrounding air. No air rising means no wax vapors rising and hence the flame is spherical. Diffusion of hot air containing products of combustion causes oxygen rich air to participate in combustion and thus the blue color.

What does it mean when a flame turns blue?

A natural gas blue flame indicates that the burner is providing the correct air-fuel mixture, with sufficient oxygen for complete combustion at the burner. A blue flame burns the fuel completely producing carbon dioxide, water and heat.

Is blue fire hotter than red fire?

Hotter fires burn with more energy which are different colors than cooler fires. Although red usually means hot or danger, in fires it indicates cooler temperatures. While blue represents cooler colors to most, it is the opposite in fires, meaning they are the hottest flames.

Why is my candle flame bouncing?

The wick is drawing oil from the candle wax as fuel, and a buildup is created within the wick. If the flame gets too little or too much air or fuel, it can flicker or flare and unburned carbon particles (soot) will escape from the flame before they can fully combust.

What are blue flames called?

The University of Maryland’s’ scientists have discovered a new type of fire, which they have aptly named “Blue Whirl.” This new fire is small, whirling, transparent, and blue. Fire whirls tend to burn much faster and hotter than normal fires. In nature, fire whirls can be dangerous when they occur during wildfires.

What’s it mean when a candle flickers?

Flickering from drafts isn’t just an annoyance; it can be a sign that the candle is getting too much air. The candle can get too high, burn too hot, and use up the wax much more quickly, and this can also be dangerous if there are fabrics nearby.

Why is my candle tunneling?

Candle tunneling occurs when only the center of the wax right around the wick melts and burns down. Sometimes, candle tunneling is caused by a wick that isn’t large enough for the size of the candle, but more often it’s caused by the timing of the first burn.

Should my gas fire have blue flames?

Gas flames should be blue but can sometimes burn red or yellow.

What color should flame be in a fire pit?

The optimum color for fireplaces and fire pits is more yellow (more natural flame color for gas logs).

Is the blue flame the hottest?

While blue represents cooler colors to most, it is the opposite in fires, meaning they are the hottest flames. When all flame colors combine, the color is white-blue which is the hottest. Most fires are the result of a chemical reaction between a fuel and oxygen called combustion.

Why is the flame at the bottom of a candle blue?

The blue part of the candle flame at the bottom of the flame results from chemiluminescence. Chemiluminescence is not black body radiation. The spectrum of that blue part of the flame has narrow peaks.

What causes a candle flame to glow yellow?

Heat naturally causes things to glow. If you heat up a piece of iron hot enough, it will glow red. Heat it more and it glows orange or yellow. The temperature controls the color. In the yellow part of a candle flame, you are seeing tiny particles of soot that are hot enough to glow yellow.

Is the Blue part of a candle flame black body radiation?

The spectrum in this part of the flame is fairly close to that of a black body. The blue part of the candle flame at the bottom of the flame results from chemiluminescence. Chemiluminescence is not black body radiation. The spectrum of that blue part of the flame has narrow peaks.

Why is the lowermost part of the flame blue in color?

The color of that lowermost part of the flame is not indicative of temperature. The blue light is instead a byproduct of the chemical reactions taking place in that part of the flame, which is why the spectrum is so peaky.