Violet Smoke Chemistry Demonstration

Produce Clouds of Violet Smoke

Iodine vapor produces the violet color of the smoke.
Iodine vapor produces the violet color of the smoke. In this photo, a light bulb illuminates the beautiful color of the gas. (c) Philip Evans / Getty Images
By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated March 06, 2017

There are many chemistry demonstrations that produce smoke, but violet smoke is quite a lot more interesting! Here are two ways to produce violet smoke.

Violet Smoke Safety Info

iodine

Violet Smoke Method #1

  • 1 part powdered zinc
  • 4 parts powdered iodine
  • wash bottle or dropper bottle filled with water
  1. Separately powder the zinc and iodine, using a mortar and pestle.
  2. Mix the ingredients in a shallow dish.
  3. Perform the demonstration by spraying a stream of water onto the powdered mix. Violet vapor will immediately form. You may wish to place a white board behind the dish to make the violet smoke more visible.

Violet Smoke Method #2

  • 4 grams powdered ammonium nitrate
  • 4 grams powdered zinc
  • 1/2 gram iodine crystals
  • wash bottle or dropper bottle of water
  1. Powder the materials separately, then mix them together in a shallow dish.
  2. Initiate the reaction between the zinc and ammonium nitrate by spraying water onto the powdered ingredients. Iodine will sublimate in the heat of the reaction. White Smoke Chem Demo | Easy Violet Fire
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    Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Violet Smoke Chemistry Demonstration." ThoughtCo, Oct. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/violet-smoke-chemistry-demonstration-604244. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, October 29). Violet Smoke Chemistry Demonstration. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/violet-smoke-chemistry-demonstration-604244 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Violet Smoke Chemistry Demonstration." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/violet-smoke-chemistry-demonstration-604244 (accessed January 24, 2021).