Flame Test - Lab
As you have learned in class, atoms give off light after energy has been added to them. This
happens because electrons in ground state (low energy) orbitals absorb photons and move up to
excited state (high energy) orbitals. When these electrons fall back to their original orbitals, the
excess energy is emitted as photons of visible light. The color of this light (wavelength) is closely
related to the amount of energy released.
This phenomenon can be used to identify unknown elements. Let’s say that you have two elements:
Element A is known to give off red light when heated, and Element B gives off blue light. If you heat
an unknown sample with a flame and the color given off is blue, it seems reasonable to assume that
your unknown element is Element B. In this lab, we will be doing the same thing using real
elements.
Note: Flame tests identify cations (+ Ions) only. When the metal ion is placed in the burner
flame, the electron acquires energy. Each color represents a different wavelength of photon.
The overall range for visible light is 390 nm to 770 nm.
The wavelength ranges (in nanometers - nm) for each color in the rainbow are (approximately):
RED 622 nm to 770 nm
ORANGE 595 nm to 622 nm
YELLOW 577 nm to 595 nm
GREEN 492 nm to 577 nm
BLUE 455 nm to 492 nm
INDIGO 415 nm to 455 nm
VIOLET 390 nm to 415 nm
Section 1: Determining some reference colors
In this section we will be determining the colors that different metallic elements give off when
heated. In section 2 we will compare the colors of unknown elements to these reference colors to
identify the unknown elements.
There are seven stations in this lab. At station 1 you will be determining the color given off by
heated calcium by heating a sample of calcium chloride. At station 2, you will determine the color
given off by heated potassium by heating potassium chloride. In the same way, you will determine
the colors given off by heated lithium in station 3, heated sodium in station 4, heated strontium in
station 5, heated copper in station 6, and heated Barium in station 7.
Procedure: (you may start at any of the seven stations):
1) WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES. Light the station bunsen burner with a flint striker(Note - some
stations will share a burner). Remember to turn the gas off and let it disperse if the burner doesn’t
ignite in the first three tries. You will NOT be wearing rubber gloves during this lab.
2) Dip only the LOOP portion of the wire loop into a solution containing one of the 7 samples
(i.e. calcium chloride, potassium chloride, etc.) Make sure you don’t touch the wire with your bare
hands, or place it on the table, because you may contaminate it. Also - be careful not to drop
any liquid solution onto the burner.
3) Place the wire loop into the stove burner flame directly over the flame. Record the color that
you observe as the sample is heated. Important: Only record the initial flash of color that you
see, NOT the orange-yellow color that comes after the wire loop contents have been burning for a
few seconds. The initial color is the color of the element the wire loop has been soaking in, while
the color that comes later is simply the color of excited platinum wire. Repeat if needed to
photograph the flame color. Crop and embed the flame photos into your table.
4) Lay down the wire loop on the paper towel in front of the container of solution you dipped it in.
Make sure the chemical solution bottle is closed.
5) When you are told to do so, switch stations and repeat this experiment with the other seven
stations.
Data:
Record the color observed for each sample on the form below. You can write - reddish yellow, or bright blue -
or however you think the observation is best described.
Calcium Potassium Lithium Sodium Strontium Copper Barium
CaCl2 KCl LiCl NaCl SrCl2 CuCl2 BaCl2
Color
name(s)
Pinkey Orange Pink yellow Red Green Orange
observed Redish yellow
Wavelength 622mmto 595hmto 622mm 577hm 97ohmto 492hmto 595hm
(In nm)
770hm 622mm to to 595hm g nm to azz
estimate on
Color
Photo
Section 2: Identifying the unknowns
In this section you will compare the colors of the unknown solutions to the known colors of the
elements in section 1 in order to identify them. For example, if you found that strontium gave off
neon green light when heated in section 1 and unknown solution #1 gives off neon green light, you
can say with certainty that unknown solution #1 contains strontium.
Data:
Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Color
name(s)
observed Orange Pink Red Orange Red Green Yellow
Wavelength 595mmto 622mmto 622hmto 577hmto 622hm 492hm 577hm
norm
622hm 770mm
(In nm) 622mm
estimate Form to 57 nm to 595hm
Color
photo
Analysis: Using CER (Claim, evidence, and reasoning) determine the components of the unknown solution.
Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Element lithiumare potassium stronium
Bariumauto calciumbecause
of thetone tothecolor color copper sodium
thecolor color color
ID tone
Questions:
1. List the colors observed in this lab from the greatest energy to the least energy.
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2. List the colors observed in this lab from the highest frequency to the lowest frequency.
tie
Yellow577nmto595
3. List the colors observed in this lab from the shortest wavelength to the longest wavelength.
IRge595nmt0D22m
4. What is the relationship between the energy and the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation?
5. How are electrons “excited” in this part of the experiment? What does it mean the electrons are
“excited”?
A_
6. How do different colors emitted provide evidence for the existence of energy levels and sublevels?
Yellow 577hm to 595hm
7. Why do different chemicals emit different colors of light?
62270770mL
Red 622hm to 770hm
Orange595mm to622hm
Yellow577mm to 595hm
Green492hmto 577hm
They arebothOpposites
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They absorb lots ofenergy especially when they are heated
Theyshow their moving energies
Their energy
