July 4 Chemistry

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Happy Fourth of July from the reef chemistry forum!!!

Be safe, and with the current weather, try to keep yourself and your tank cool! I went to Home Depot this morning to get another air conditioner, and my living room is still 83 deg F!

Question of the day:

Colors in fireworks come from specific elements that emit certain wavelengths of light when very hot (which, incidentally, is how an icp-OES can tell when elements are in the plasma).

There is one element that all reefers know well (for other reasons) that creates orange colors. Which element is that?

Good luck!

PS, unless you are an inorganic chemist or fireworks expert, this is a very hard question so feel free to look it up!

 

[winxp_man]

Without looking up and not really a chemist… phosphorus would be my guess.

 

[unchainedcoot]

Calcium?

 

[Fish Fan]

Without looking up and not really a chemist… phosphorus would be my guess.

Not looking it up, and with my very, very rusty Chem minor, this was my first thought too. But, in my memory, phosphorous is most often part of an organic molecule, and Randy said this was a question for inorganic chemists.

@Randy Holmes-Farley does this have anything to do with neon lighting? I'm now thinking perhaps sodium? I believe they use sodium in neon signs?

 

[acroholicanonymous]

Oof I know this. It’s either sodium or calcium!

 

[EnterName]

I had to look it up and won't spoil it for others

I'm always fascinated how certain chemicals seemingly appear everywhere. Room dehumidifier packs for example use one of the chemicals that are frequently used in reef tanks and also in fireworks.

To everyone that celebrates the fourth of July: Enjoy your time and stay safe

 

[sim]

Iron. Happy 4th of July

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley does this have anything to do with neon lighting? I'm now thinking perhaps sodium? I believe they use sodium in neon signs?

Same principle, but neon signs typically use gases (such as neon, helium, krypton, etc) since they do not get hot enough to vaporize many other elements.

 

[keagan]

strontium and sodium

Edit: just noticed element singular I'll guess calcium then

 

[KrisReef]

chlorine

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Happy Fourth of July from the reef chemistry forum!!!

Be safe, and with the current weather, try to keep yourself and your tank cool! I went to Home Depot this morning to get another air conditioner, and my living room is still 83 deg F!

Question of the day:

Colors in fireworks come from specific elements that emit certain wavelengths of light when very hot (which, incidentally, is how an icp-OES can tell when elements are in the plasma).

There is one element that all reefers know well (for other reasons) that creates orange colors. Which element is that?

Good luck!

PS, unless you are an inorganic chemist or fireworks expert, this is a very hard question so feel free to look it up!

well - i used to make fireworks many years ago, and to achieve orange stars, simple KNO3 as the oxidizer, charcoal the fuel, and Sulfur are used with a binder to make them. The effect these produced was called “tiger tail.” There was also a specific charcoal used to grind down that served as the fuel to react with the KN03 but I forget what kind it was. More simply, the chemicals that make up gunpowder were used for this orange color, with some minor alterations

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

green was barium nitrate (very dangerous) and red stars were strontium nitrate.

 

[Koty]

Nitrogen
I know of High pressure nitrogen lamps on roadsides that have orange-yellow tint

 

[Fish Fan]

Nitrogen
I know of High pressure nitrogen lamps on roadsides that have orange-yellow tint

Those are typically high pressure sodium vapor lamps.

 

[Koty]

Yes it’s Sodium indeed

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

fun fact- high pressure sodium AND metal halide both grow the funny green stuff really well.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Hope this works- this is a shell i made shot out of a 5” mortar (the higher end size that you’d see at a display in a 4th of july show)

 

[oakcityreefer]

As someone who has built their own fireworks. You might be looking for some kind of calcium or carbonate. Those will produce an orange. For a better orange we used strontium and a sodium to tone down the red and get orange.

If you've ever been interested in fireworks and live near Virginia. Crackerjacks Fireworks Club is a great place to learn more about it.

 

[KrisReef]

As someone who has built their own fireworks. You might be looking for some kind of calcium or carbonate. Those will produce an orange. For a better orange we used strontium and a sodium to tone down the red and get orange.

If you've ever been interested in fireworks and leave near Virginia. Crackerjacks Fireworks Club is a great place to learn more about it.

I might have to relocate.

 

[KrisReef]

chlorine

I remember doing the flame test in the lab and then later on behind the gymnasium. Don’t let anyone tell you that it is harmless or something better than alcohol.

It’s not better to burn out, than to fade away!