Check Out What Causes These Colored Flames

Although most typical flames you see are orange, with a purple base, it's actually possible to have colored flames based on the substance being burned. You might notice this when burning ink-rich newspaper, or metallic substances.

The color that a flame burns can help determine what kinds of chemicals are present in a sample.

For example, lithium from batteries will make a flame a deep blood red, calcium chloride and DampRid burns orange, sodium and table salt burns yellow, boric acid and cockroach killer burns green, methanol burns blue, and salt substitute burns purple.

There are various other colors that can be achieved by mixing things together too, but they're not covered in this video. Some popular Independence Day or New Years Eve fireworks even take advantage of some of these chemicals to get their colors when burning.

Aren't colored flames pretty?