DATE PERIOD NAMES

FLAME TESTS FOR METALS

PURPOSE
To observe and identify metallic ions using flame tests.

INTRODUCTION

JUST AS A FINGERPRINT IS UNIQUE TO EACH PERSON, THE COLOR OF LIGHT EMITTED BY METALS HEATED IN A FLAME IS UNIQUE TO EACH METAL.
WHEN A SUBSTANCE IS HEATED IN A FLAME, THE SUBSTANCE’S ELECTRONS ABSORB ENERGY FROM THE FLAME. THIS ABSORBED ENERGY ALLOWS THE
ELECTRONS TO BE PROMOTED TO EXCITED ENERGY LEVELS. FROM THESE EXCITED ENERGY LEVELS, THE ELECTRONS NATURALLY WANT TO MAKE A
TRANSITION, OR RELAX, BACK DOWN TO THE GROUND STATE. WHEN AN ELECTRON MAKES A TRANSITION FROM A HIGHER ENERGY LEVEL TO A LOWER
ENERGY LEVEL, A PARTICLE OF LIGHT CALLED A PHOTON IS EMITTED. A PHOTON IS COMMONLY REPRESENTED BY A SQUIGGLY LINE (SEE FIGURE
1). THE ENERGY OF EACH EMITTED PHOTON IS EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE IN ENERGY BETWEEN THE EXCITED STATE AND THE STATE TO WHICH THE
ELECTRON RELAXES. THE ENERGY OF THE EMITTED PHOTON DETERMINES THE COLOR OF LIGHT OBSERVED IN THE FLAME.

GROUND STATE

THE COLOR OF LIGHT OBSERVED WHEN A SUBSTANCE IS HEATED IN A FLAME VARIES FROM SUBSTANCE TO SUBSTANCE. BECAUSE EACH ELEMENT HAS A
DIFFERENT ELECTRONIC CONFIGURATION, THE ELECTRONIC TRANSITIONS FOR A GIVEN SUBSTANCE ARE UNIQUE. THEREFORE, THE DIFFERENCES IN
ENERGY BETWEEN ENERGY LEVELS, THE EXACT ENERGY OF THE EMITTED PHOTON, AND ITS CORRESPONDING WAVELENGTH AND COLOR ARE UNIQUE TO
EACH SUBSTANCE. AS A RESULT, THE COLOR OBSERVED WHEN A SUBSTANCE IS HEATED IN A FLAME CAN BE USED AS A MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION.

IN THIS LABORATORY ACTIVITY, THE CHARACTERISTIC COLOR OF LIGHT EMITTED FOR BARIUM, CALCIUM, CESIUM, COBALT, COPPER, LEAD,
LITHIUM, MAGNESIUM, MANGANESE, NICKEL, POTASSIUM, SODIUM, AND STRONTIUM WILL BE OBSERVED.
PRE-LAB ASSIGNMENT – IGNITING CHEMISTRY IN FIREWORKS

Fireworks capture our attention with their beautiful colors and controlled explosions, both of which link
directly to fundamental concepts taught in basic chemistry classes. The media resources featured in this
lesson provide a visually rich way to tie together spectral chemistry, combustion, and the nature of fire.

Resources
● Fireworks! Making Color QuickTime Video ● Pyrotechnics: It's Elemental HTML
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLdqnM06kRg Interactive
● Fireworks! Lifting Charge QuickTime Video https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/assets/swf/1/periodic-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot8cBF_xdjo table/periodic-table.html
Watch from 3:41 to 8:41 ●
● Anatomy of a Firework Chemistry of Fireworks colors
https://munsell.com/color-blog/chemistry-fireworks-
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/anat_nf.html#
colors/
pagetop

● Pyrotechnically Speaking HTML Document

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fireworks/conkling.html

Part I: The Colors of Fireworks

1. Watch the Fireworks! Making Color video and answer the following questions:

● How are different elements used to make firework displays more enjoyable for Spectators?
● How does this relate to the lab activity in which elements were tested over a flame?
● What element is used to make your favorite color firework? Are some colors made by more than one
element?
● What advances have been made over the years in creating color in fireworks, and what advances can you
imagine for the future?

● Why does each element emit its own unique combination of spectral lines?
● What causes the electrons to move up and down in energy levels within atoms in a firework?

2. Watch the Fireworks! Lifting Charge video and answer the following questions:

● What factors control the shape of a firework display?

● How is a firework launched, and what other applications of this technology can you think of?
● What components of a firework are designed for safety, for example, when launching near a crowd of
people?
● What advances have been made over the years in the structure and launching of fireworks, and what
advances can you imagine for the future? Give examples.

3. Complete the Anatomy of a Firework interactive activity. Identify all of the different parts of a firework
and their function.

4. Read the Pyrotechnically Speaking document. Answer the following question:

● How do particular elements determine the color of a firework and how does the structure of a firework
determine its shape and timing?
●

Part II: The Chemical Reactions in Fireworks

5. Use the Pyrotechnics: its Elemental interactive activity to record which elements should make certain
colors.

6. Read the Chemistry of Fireworks colors article, taking care to record the wavelengths of the colored light
spectrum and which ends of the spectrum are higher energy and which are lower energy.

PYROTECHNICS IS THE SCIENCE OF MATERIALS CAPABLE OF UNDERGOING SELF-CONTAINED AND SELF-SUSTAINED EXOTHERMIC CHEMICAL REACTIONS FOR
THE PRODUCTION OF HEAT, LIGHT, GAS, SMOKE AND/OR SOUND. PYROTECHNICS INCLUDE NOT ONLY THE MANUFACTURE OF FIREWORKS, BUT ITEMS
SUCH AS SAFETY MATCHES, OXYGEN CANDLES, EXPLOSIVE BOLTS AND FASTENERS, AND COMPONENTS OF THE AUTOMOBILE SAFETY AIRBAG.

SAFETY FIRST ! ! !

IN THIS LAB, THE SOLUTIONS YOU WILL BE USING CONTAIN HARMFUL MATERIALS. AVOID SKIN CONTACT WITH THESE CHEMICALS. OBSERVE ALL
PRECAUTIONS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES LISTED BELOW.

● WEAR YOUR SAFETY GOGGLES AND APRON.

● DO NOT TASTE ANY OF THE SUBSTANCES OR TOUCH THEM WITH YOUR HANDS.
● DO NOT SPRAY THE CHEMICALS AT ANYONE. DO NOT SPRAY EXCESS CHEMICALS.
● IF YOUR FLAME GOES OUT, TURN OFF THE GAS IMMEDIATELY AND THEN RELIGHT!
● RETURN OR DISPOSE OF ALL MATERIALS ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS OF YOUR TEACHER.
● WASH YOUR HANDS.

PROCEDURE
DATA TABLE
NAME OF CHEMICAL FORMULA OF CHEMICAL DETAILED OBSERVATIONS FLAME COLOR
QUESTIONS

1. Is flame coloration a test for the METALLIC ION OR for the CHLORIDE (OR NITRATE) ION?

2. List the ELEMENTS that produced the MOST easily identified colors.

3. Which ELEMENTS are LEAST easily identified? EXPLAIN.

4. Which ELEMENT produces the MOST intense color?

5. Identify the IONS in EACH UNKNOWN.

6. Would flame tests be useful for detecting metal ions present in a mixture of metal ions?
EXPLAIN.

7. What is the purpose of using the same camera for the known and unknown samples?
8. What difficulties may be encountered in the use of the flame test for identification?

9. Why do we see colors in the flame tests, and why are there different colors for different
metal ions?

10. How does the flame test provide support for quantized energy levels? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.

11. Which of the metals produced the highest energy wave of light? Why do you think that is?
(hint: you should mention valence electrons, energy levels, and the nucleus)