Thomas Petrie

Flame Test (Atomic absorption spectroscopy)

Aim: To identify an element by passing a substance through a flame and then observing the colour of
the flame.

Background:

The flame test is used to help in the identification of elements by the flame colour they produce.
Atomic absorption measures the types of wavelengths that the material absorbs and is used to
identify how much of an element is in a sample. It is supported by the observation that when an
element emits light, each different element will give a unique spectrum when passed through a
spectroscope. When an element is passed through a flame, the electrons gain energy and move to
higher energy levels (if they gain the exact amount of energy required). The electrons in the higher
energy levels will immediately return to the lower energy levels, the energy that is released will be in
the form of photons, hence emitting light. Certain elements will emit different colours of light and
can help in identifying elements by using the flame test. These elements tend to form the colour
listed beside; Copper-blue, Calcium- orange, Hydrogen- lilac, Sodium yellow/orange.

Method:

STAWA, Year 11 ATAR Exploring Chemistry. Refer to page 28 Experiment 8: Fireworks and flame
tests

Results:

Sample tested Colour observed

Copper (II) Sulfate [CuSO4] Yellow/Green

Potassium Nitrate [KNO3] Orange

Strontium Nitrate [Sr(NO3)2] Red

Barium Chloride [BaCl2] Yellow

Sodium Chloride [NaCl] Orange

Calcium Nitrate [Ca(NO3)2] Purple

Magnesium Nitrate [Mg(NO3)2] Pink/Orange

Lithium Chloride [LiCl] Red

Lead Nitrate [PbNO3] Green

Cobalt Chloride [CoCl2] Orange

 Thomas Petrie

Questions:

1) The metal is the component of the salt that is responsible for producing a colour.

2) The assumption in the flame test is the ethanol will not affect the colour of the flame.

3) A clean watch glass must be used to perform the flame test, to ensure that there are no
contaminants that may affect the colour of the flame

4) When the atoms gain energy (usually heat or applying an electric field) the electrons become
excited and move to higher energy levels (excited state), almost immediately returning to their
lowest energy levels (ground state). The energy that is released will take the form of photons, these
photons can be released in different wavelengths which corresponds to the colour produced.

5) A practical use for the flame test is in mining. Miners use the flame test to identify what elements
are present in a sample. Finding this can help to make decisions whether to continue digging in the
area, or to move to a place where the desired materials are found.

6) Describing an element with different variations of the same colour will be a problem as it can
cause confusion, leading to an inaccurate identification of an element.