Lab: Flame Tests: Arellano University

ARELLANO UNIVERSITY
PASAY CITY
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Name: ______________________________ Date: ________
Lab: Flame Tests

Concept:
A flame test is a procedure used to test qualitatively for the presence of certain metals in chemical
compounds. When the compound to be studied is excited by heating it in a flame, the metal ions will begin to
emit light. Based on the emission spectrum of the element, the compound will turn the flame a characteristic
color. This technique of using certain chemical compounds to color flames is widely used in pyrotechnics to
produce the range of colors seen in a firework display.
Certain metal ions will turn the flame very distinctive colors; these colors in turn can help identify the presence
of a particular metal in a compound. However, some colors are produced by several different metals, making it
hard to determine the exact ion or concentration of the ion in the compound. Some colors are very weak and are
easily overpowered by stronger colors.
When atoms or ions in the ground state are heated to high temperatures, some electrons may absorb enough
energy to allow them to “jump” to higher energy levels. These excited state electrons are unstable and they will
“fall” back to their normal positions of lower energy. As the electrons return to the ground state, the energy that
was absorbed is emitted in the form of electromagnetic energy. Some of this energy may be in the form of
visible light.
The atomic spectrum of an element results when sufficient energy is supplied to volatilize its atoms, causing
some of the electrons to move into higher energy states, called “excited states”. The lifetime of the excited state
is short, and the electrons return spontaneously, in discrete steps, to their lower energy levels. Each of these
steps involves the loss of a finite amount of energy in the form of short bursts called “photons”. since each
element has its own peculiar number of protons and electrons, and each element has a large number of possible
excited states, there are many paths that an electron may follow in returning to the unexcited of “ground state”.
These paths may be represented by a collection of lines of light in a spectroscope called the element’s “emission
spectrum”.
I. Learning Task: To observe the characteristic colors produced by certain metallic ions when vaporized in a
flame; and to identify an unknown metallic ion by means of its flame test.
II. Materials and Equipment:

1. wooden splints 3. Bunsen burner
2. 7 different ions solutions 4. Beaker
III. Procedure:
1. Put on safety goggles.
2. Fill a beaker half way with water to depose of used wooden splints.
3. Set up Bunsen burner.
4. Take a wooden split of the metallic ion solutions insert into flame. Record the color produced by the
ion.
5. Repeat for all 6 ions.
6. When you have finished testing your seven metallic ion solutions, obtain a sample of an
unknown solution. Perform a flame test and identify the metallic ion present by the color
of the flame.
7. Clean up your Lab bench.
IV. Data:
Metallic Ion Color in Flame

Na+1
K+1
Li+1
Ca+2
Sr+2
Cu+2
Ba+2
Unknown
V. Conclusion Questions:
1. What inaccuracies may be involved in using flame tests for identification purposes?
2. The characteristic bright-line spectrum (color) of an element is produced when

A. electrons are emitted by the nucleus as beta particles
B. electrons move to higher energy levels
C. electrons are gained by an atom
D. electrons fall back to lower energy levels
3. Define the following terms:
A. Ground state
B. Excited state
C. Quanta
4. Why does the potassium flame appear violet when its most intense radiation has a wavelength of roughly
770 nm?
5. Aerial fireworks contain gunpowder and chemicals that produce colors. What elements would you
include to produce crimson red? Yellow?
6. Some commercially available fireplace logs bun with a red and / or green flame. On the basis of your
data, what elements could be responsible for these colored flames?
Conclusion-

Lab: Flame Tests: Arellano University

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ARELLANO UNIVERSITY

Lab: Flame Tests

II. Materials and Equipment:

Metallic Ion Color in Flame

2. The characteristic bright-line spectrum (color) of an element is produced when

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