Tittle of experiment

Effect of difference metals on the color in the flame

Date of experiment

25 October 2022

Objective experiment

1) To show how flame test can be used to identify some metals ion
2) To identify some unknown metal ions using flame test

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. 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.

Apparatus

Nichrome wire with one end sealed in a glass rod

Reagent solution

Concentrated solution (1m) of

Barium chloride

Calcium chloride

Copper (II) chloride

Sodium chloride

Potassium chloride

Unknown compounds

Procedure

1) Lit up the Bunsen burner

2) Prepare the solution in the test tube
3) The nichrome wire being cleaned
4) Dipped the clean nichrome into chloride solution solution. Make sure that film of the solution
adheres to the loop
5) Moved the loop of the wire into the lower portion of the flame
6) Observe and recorded the color seen
7) Cleaned the nichrome wire
8) The step were repeated by using other solution such as calcium chloride, copper (II) chloride,
sodium chloride, potassium chloride, solution A, B, and C
9) Recorded the observation in table

Report state
 Solution Element present Color of flame
Barium chloride Barium Apple green
Calcium chloride Calcium Red
Copper (II) chloride Copper Green
Sodium chloride Sodium Brighter orange
Potassium chloride potassium Orange

Unknown solution Color of the flame Element present

A Brighter orange Sodium
B Orange Potassium
C red Calcium

Discussion

The nichrome wire needs to be clean so that the chemical solution doesn’t mix with each other which may
effect the result. The loop of the nichrome wire needs to put to the lower part of flame to get the exact
result of the flame color.

Question

1) Orange
2) It is because neon lamp absorbs and emits different wavelength of light
3) It is because the movement of the electrons in metal ions present in the compound is different

Conclusion

Based on the result of the flame test, all the chemical that contains the same element will produce the
same flame color.