Fireplace colors

Applying ideas Some stores sell jars of fireplace crystals. When sprinkled on a log, these crystals make the flames blue, red, green, and violet. Explain how these crystals can change the flame s color. What ingredients would you expect the crystals to contain ... 

You ve probably noticed that flames can be various colors, particularly in a fireworks display or when you burn logs treated with various salts in the fireplace. These colors are the result of electrons in metal atoms moving from higher energy levels to lower energy levels. The colors produced when compormds containing metals are heated in a flame can be used to identify the metals. The procedure is known as a flame test. In this MiniLab, you will study the flame tests of a few elements and identify an unknown element. 

Have you ever bought color crystals for your fireplace — to make flames of different colors Or have you ever watched fireworks and wondered where the colors came from ... 

From fireplace mantels to tabletops, a stone finish adds texture and warmth. As with terra fresco, you combine plaster with paint to get the desired organic look. Faux stone finishes can range from a deep red sandstone to gray slate. Basically, you ll want to pick a base color and two highlight colors—consider looking online at pictures of the rock you plan to mimic and choosing your colors accordingly. 

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