Dancing Flames!

Years 9, 10 and 11 Chemistry Club

Dancing Flames -  The Reaction of Aluminium with Copper Chloride

This week in Chemistry Club students were fascinated to see an eerie green dancing flame in a conical flask! This was due to an interesting reaction between aluminium foil and copper chloride.  Aluminium is a rather inert metal in ordinary conditions, as it is covered with a durable protective oxide layer.  However, the copper chloride breaks this down, leading to the production of a lot of hydrogen gas which can be trapped in the neck of a conical flask.  When the hydrogen gas is ignited, it burns, and the flame sinks back into the flask and dances inside above the reaction, with a spectacular luminous green colour from the copper!