Flame Test Lab

Eamon Barkhordarian 6/26/09

Flame Test Lab Purpose: To perform flame tests on metal cations and use the results to analyze electron configurations and light produced

Materials: – – – – –

Bunsen burner Small beaker Wooden splints Cobalt glass Cations and unknown samples (in nitrate compounds)

Safety: – – Data:

Metal Cations in Nitrate Salts

Flame Color

Regular wooden splint

Orange/yellow

Barium

Yellow

Calcium

Red

Copper

Green

Lithium

Red/pink

Potassium

Pink

Sodium

Orange

Strontium

Red/orange

Unknown (barium)

Green/yellow

Analysis: 1. In my opinion, copper was the most easily identified with the flame test because when we

lit it under the Bunsen burner, it burned a definite and bright green. There was no other color in the flame, only green. 2. The colors of the visible light spectrum in order from lowest to highest energy: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.

Eamon Barkhordarian 6/26/09

3. The metals we tested in increasing order of energy of the light emitted within each family: calcium, lithium, potassium, strontium, sodium, regular wooden splint, barium, copper.

Eamon Barkhordarian 6/26/09

4.

Eamon Barkhordarian 6/26/09

Conclusion: 1. Lithium color was red/pink, the potassium and calcium was red, and barium was yellow. Potassium and calcium have the lowest energy on the visible light spectrum. This means the electrons are closer to the nucleus which possess lower energy. Lithium was a brighter shade of red (pink) meaning it was higher on the visible light spectrum. This means the electrons are farther from the nucleus with higher energy. The highest on the visible light spectrum was barium, with a yellow color. These electrons were farthest from the nuclear with the highest amount of energy. 2. a. Crimson red is a darker shade of red, so I’d choose to include the element calcium. b. For yellow, I’d pick the element Barium.