The color of the smoke during a papal conclave has a specific meaning:
- White smoke signals that a new pope has been elected. This smoke is made bright and unmistakable by adding special chemicals such as potassium chlorate, pine rosin, and milk sugar to the burning ballots
- Black smoke indicates that no decision has been reached yet, meaning the cardinals have not achieved the required two-thirds majority to elect a pope. The black smoke is produced by adding chemicals like potassium perchlorate, anthracene (a coal tar component), and sulfur to the ballots as they burn
Historically, the colors came from burning different materials (wet straw for white, tar or pitch for black), but this often resulted in ambiguous gray smoke. Since 2005, the Vatican has used chemical additives to ensure the smoke color is clear and easily identifiable
. In summary, white smoke means a new pope has been chosen, and black smoke means no pope has been elected yet
