you probably know that flames can be
colored when heated in a flame different
metals turn the flame different colors
scientists use this technique to detect
the presence of metals in a sample
backyard scientists uses technique to
explode things join me today as I teach
you how to make colored fire from
household materials and the cool things
to do with them the first thing you'll
need is an appropriate fuel and methanol
is a perfect choice for that now it's
important to use methanol because the
color that you're trying to create will
come out visit and not washed out by the
orange now let's go outside and I'll
show you how to mix up these chemicals
to create the colors lithium from
batteries burns red calcium chloride and
Danford burns orange sodium and table
salt burns yellow boric acid and Roach
killer burns green methanol burns blue
all by itself and salt substitute burns
purple let's start with red lithium
you'll need this brand of battery use a
small pipe cutter to cut the battery
open inside this battery there's a roll
of lithium foil unroll the lithium and
add it to the methanol this creates a
compound called lithium methoxide and it
turns of flame a deep red color next is
orange easy from here calcium compounds
burned with an orange flame a convenient
source of calcium is found inside
dambrun just add a few spoonfuls of
calcium chloride to the bottle of
methanol and you have orange fire yellow
is also easy simple table salt just add
a couple teaspoons to the methanol and
you'll have a brilliant green flames are
my favorite you need to pick up a bottle
of boric acid sold as Roach killer
despite the name it's very safe just add
two teaspoons to a bottle for an amazing
green fire blue is the easiest methanol
burns blue all by itself no need to do
anything just pour it right out of the
bottle our final color is purple and
you'll need salt substitute which
contains potassium chloride just mix in
a few teaspoons and you'll get a
beautiful lilac flame now that we've got
all these cool colored flames I thought
it'd be a good idea to make a
flamethrower out of them well we waited
until sunset and headed out with our
flamethrowers bird car
whose idea it is it's a bad idea to give
a backyard scientist a flamethrower
he might just set his GoPro on fire next
I created a device that allows me to
shoot six different pillars of colored
fire at the end of each tube is an
upside on water bottle that holds a
different color I can pump it up with a
bike pump 250 psi and remotely activate
it with an electronic sprinkler valve
now let's wait until nighttime to try it
three
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well I got a little bit of fire in my
hair there on that last shot but that
won't stop me from making awesome videos
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description when he did it up blame
you