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It really depends on how much carbon is in the element that you are trying to burn.

>> elements don't contain carbon, carbon is itself an element.

The reason is electron energy levels, different electron shells contain electrons on different energy levels, the lowest being the first shell (which can only contain 2 electrons) - like Hydrogen and Helium have. When combusting with Oxygen, elements create a compound with Oxygen (ex: Zinc burning creates Zinc Oxide), generally between non-metals these bonds are covalent (shared electrons, such as Nitrogen Dioxide), whereas between metals and a non-metal (Oxygen in our case) the bonds are ionic [one element loses it outer electron(s) and the other gains electron(s)], so that both of their outer shells are complete and stable, and their opposite charges holds the compound together.

When electrons change position they either emit of release a photon, this is what causes the Aurora Borealis. With combustion (fire) they are creating chemical bonds, breaking chemical bonds uses up energy (endothermic) and creating chemical bonds releases energy (exothermic). The energy that is released is heat, photons are the carriers of heat and light, and if the heat is high enough it becomes light (hence why bulbs get so hot). So during fire, when electrons change position they release a photon. The higher the energy that the electron has (the further out it's shell is from the atomic nucleus), the higher the frequency of photon (light) that it emits. A deep dark red is the lowest energy level, so Hydrogen burns with a deep dark red flame, because the electron in it's outer shell (which is the one reacting) is also at the lowest energy level possible.

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