Writing

PERUBAHAN/PEMURNIAN PELAN PENTAKSIRAN KURSUS

SEMPENA WABAK COVID 19 GENERAL
CHEMISTRY (CHM131)

EXPERIMENT 2 FLAME
TEST

Objectives:
• To describe the color of a flame produced by an element.
• To produce a lab report based on the watched video
• To answer questions and complete data sheet provided

Introduction:
The arrangement of electrons around the nucleus of the atom is called electron
configurations. How the electron arranges themselves around the nucleus determines the
atom’s chemical activity. This is why electron configuration is so important to the study of
chemistry.
You learned earlier that electrons are found in increasing energy levels around the
nucleus. Adding energy to the atom may shift electrons from a lower to a higher energy level.
Heat, light or electricity can be used to add energy to an atom’s energy. An atom with
additional energy is said to be excited. The loss of this additional energy returns the atom to
its normal state. The normal state, after excitation is called the ground state. The outer
electrons are those which absorb this added energy. When the energy source is removed
then the excited electrons return to their ground state. The energy, which they had absorbed,
is emitted. This emission of absorbed energy is in the form of light energy. Analysis of this
light, using a spectroscope, shows that this light is always same the same for the same
atom. The emission spectrum from the excited atom consists of lines, which are always of
the same frequency.
The emission spectrum for each element is unique to that element. Like a fingerprint
it can be sued to identify elements and their compounds. Most of our knowledge of the
composition of the universe comes from the emission spectra of stars. Simple flame test can
be used to illustrate this. Each element or its ion, when heated sufficiently, produces a
characteristic spectrum. The ions used in the following experiment give a visible spectrum.
These can be used to identify the element.

PREPARED BY: DR NURUL IZZA TAIB

RESOURCE PERSON CHM131
Materials:
Nichrome wire with one end sealed in a glass rod
Concentrated solutions (0.5 M) of: Strontium chloride
Lithium chloride Calcium chloride
Sodium chloride Barium chloride
Potassium chloride Copper (II) chloride

Methods:
1. The nichrome wire must be kept clean. Snipping about 5 mm off the end of the wire after
each use does this. Place used ends in the bin.
2. Dip the clean wire into chloride solution and then into flame. Record the color seen, and
then clean the wire.
3. Repeat for all the other solution provided.
4. Use the results obtained to see if you can identify the metal ions present in the unknown
samples supplied.

INSTRUCTION TO STUDENTS

1. Refer to the video on the link provided

• Link youtube : https://youtu.be/NEUbBAGw14k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=kdSWB41xcUs OR any relevant videos

2. Write a lab report based on the video.

3. Refer the manual provided above to write the chemicals and procedure part.
4. Answer all the questions. Rewrite the questions and answer in the lab report.

PREPARED BY: DR NURUL IZZA TAIB

RESOURCE PERSON CHM131
QUESTIONS

1. What is the color of the neon light?

Yellow and Green color.

2. Why does a sodium street lamp give off a different color light then a neon light?

Because the substances absorb and emit different wavelengths of light.

3. Why do some elements produce colourful flames?

When the atom is heated, some of its electrons are attracted to higher levels. When
an electron drops from one level to a lower energy level, it emits a quantum of
energy. The different mix of energy differences for each atom produces different
colors. Each metal gives a characteristic flame emission spectrum.

PREPARED BY: DR NURUL IZZA TAIB

RESOURCE PERSON CHM131
PREPARED BY: DR NURUL IZZA TAIB
RESOURCE PERSON CHM131