2014-11-10

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Applied Science

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Heating zinc oxide with a blow torch causes it to turn from a white powder into a golden yellow. The process reverses when the substance cools back down to room temperature. The heat drives out some oxygen from the ZnO lattice, cause some locations to have a Zinc metal ion. This disruption in the lattice is able to absorb more blue and violet light, causing the overall substance to look yellow.