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Exercise 10-Flame Test

When elements are placed in a flame, their electrons can be excited to higher energy levels. As the electrons return to lower levels, they emit energy that may appear as visible light colors unique to each element. The procedure involves cleaning a flame test wire between exposures to known and unknown salt solutions to identify the elements based on the colors they impart to a flame. Safety precautions like cleaning acid spills and properly disposing of materials are followed.

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Pol Marasigan Banzon
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196 views3 pages

Exercise 10-Flame Test

When elements are placed in a flame, their electrons can be excited to higher energy levels. As the electrons return to lower levels, they emit energy that may appear as visible light colors unique to each element. The procedure involves cleaning a flame test wire between exposures to known and unknown salt solutions to identify the elements based on the colors they impart to a flame. Safety precautions like cleaning acid spills and properly disposing of materials are followed.

Uploaded by

Pol Marasigan Banzon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Exercise 8

Flame Test
When elements are exposed to the heat of a flame, electrons in that element can be
excited from their ground-state arrangement into higher energy levels. As these excited
electrons return to the vacated lower levels excess energy MUST be emitted. If the energy
emitted is in the visible region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, then a color will be
imparted to the flame. Only certain elements have electronic transitions that involve
the energy associated with visible light. But, just as the electron arrangement in an element
affects its chemistry, the allowed electron transitions impart unique color to the flame.
Because the energy of allowed levels for electrons in each element are unique, any color
imparted to a flame is distinctive and an element can be identified by its flame test.

PROCEDURE:
A. Bunsen Burner
Observe your professors demonstration of the
correct method of lighting a Bunsen burner.

B. Flame Tests
1. Obtain a flame test wire, cork and two spot
plates.
2.

Clean the spot-plates but do NOT dry them. After rinsing the clean plates with deionized
water, simply shake off the excess water.

3.

Put one of the spot plates on a piece of paper and label the paper at the positions of the
spot plate wells with LiCl, NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, BaCl2, or SrCl2. Take the spot plate (on the
labeled paper) to the stock bottles and using the droppers that are in the bottles, place
2-3 drops of each chemical into its labeled well. DO NOT MIX UP THE DROPPERS. AS YOU
USE THEM, RETURN EACH TO THE CORRECT BOTTLE.

4.

Form the end of the flame test wire into a SMALL loop. Insert the straight end of the wire
into a cork. The cork will protect your fingers from heat when you place the wire into the
flame of the Bunsen burner.

5.

Clean the wire by dipping it in a shell vial


containing a few mL (1/4th full) of 6-M HCl and
then placing the wire loop just above the inner blue
cone of a burner's flame. Repeat this process until
no coloration of the flame is observed. (The wire
is clean when no color is imparted to the flame.)
CLEAN UP ANY
BICARBONATE

ACID

SPILLS

WITH

SODIUM

NEVER DIP A HOT FLAME-TEST WIRE INTO A KNOWN OR UNKNOWN SOLUTION. THE CATION
WILL BE BAKED ONTO THE WIRE AND IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAN!

6.

Dip the clean wire into one of the known solutions. Place the wire into a flame just above
the inner blue cone. Observe and record the color imparted to the flame. Sometimes it is
easier to see the color when the wire is held just above the visible flame.

7.

You MUST clean the flame test wire (see step 4) BEFORE testing a different solution.
Repeat the flame test process for the other known solutions. Save your solutions on your
spot plate in case you want to recheck your results when you are testing your unknown
solutions.

8.

Bring your second clean spot plate (on a piece of paper) to your professor who will
dispense your unknowns into it. On the paper, label each your unknowns with the numbers
given to you by your professor. Record these identification numbers on your report
sheet.

9. Make sure to clean your wire WELL between each test and do a flame test on each of your
unknown solutions.
10. Dispose of your excess 6-M HCl by pouring it into a beaker of water and then pour that
solution down the sink flushing with additional water. DISCARD your flame test wire and
return the cork and spot plates.

REPORT
FLAME TESTS

NAME
SECTION

Flame Tests for Known Solutions

Identity of Solution

Flame Color

Identification of Unknowns

Unknown Number

Flame Color

Identity of Unknown
Solution

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