Metal Chloride Experiment Assesment

 Metal Chloride Experiment Assessment

Today we conducted an experiment in which we burnt different Metal Chlorides in order to see the differences between their reactions. We did this by taking different chlorides, applying them to a metal rod, and holding them above the flame from a Bunsen burner. The chlorides we used were Potassium, Sodium, Strontium, and Copper Chlorides. They all reacted to the open flame very differently, as shown below:

Copper: Green and blue with lots of sparks

Potassium: Orange with strange crackling noises

Strontium: Red and green colour, no added attributes

Sodium: Orange and green, with popping noises

As you can see, there is a large difference between the chemical reactions that each Chloride produced. This is caused by atoms splitting through the material, causing the atoms to become excited with thermal energy. They then give off different colours, depending on the material used. This can be related to many different things in astrology, such as the colours of the gasses around the atmospheres, shades of the soil on planets, or even the colours of the stars in the sky. This last one seems the most comparable, due to the nature of the experiment being based around flame. The question remains, however, is this genuinely comparable? The answer is fairly simple, based around the fact that while coloured flame is made from Metal Chlorides and other materials, while a stars colour simply comes from the heat at which it burns, with red being relatively cool (For a gigantic floating super furnace), and blue being very, very hot.

But then, could we compare this experiment to the colour of the planets? In some ways, yes. All planets are composed of different matters and materials, with Venus taking its colours from the vaporous gasses in its atmosphere, or Mars, "The Red Planet" with its rust coated surface. However, this is not a fair comparison in both ways, because without the flame, there would be no reaction, thus, a planet is not a fair comparison. 

In conclusion, this experiment was NOT comparable to colours in starlight. If the experiment were heat affecting the colour of flame, then yes, possibly, however, in this instance, we cannot derive a fair judgement from this test.