When an element is heated in a bunsen burner flame, the resulting color of the flame changes can be used to identify the element. what causes the colored light that is observed? the protons and neutrons move faster at higher temperatures and their collisions produce light energy. when an electron moves from a higher to lower orbital, energy is released as waves of light. an exothermic reaction occurs that converts the thermal energy to light energy. upon heating, the element reacts with oxygen to produce a gaseous compound of a specific color?