This document describes the procedure and observations of a flame test experiment. The experiment involves placing various metal salt solutions on a nichrome wire and exposing the wire to a flame to observe the color of the flame. Each metal ion produces a unique color that can be used to identify the metal. Some difficulties noted are that some colors are similar, and samples with multiple metals produce mixed colors that are difficult to interpret. Real-world applications of flame tests discussed are in fireworks to produce various colored explosions, and in forensic science to identify metals in blood samples.

1. Flame Test

2. Involves placing the unknown element or
compound sample to a flame to determine
it’s identity through the flame color
(emission spectrum).
The flame would change its color
depending on the metal ions present in
the given element or compound.
The color helps distinguish the given
element from the others.
Flame test

3. Flame gives energy to any element or
compound.
if any sample is placed through heat, its
electrons would get “excited” , and its
electrons would transfer to higher state
from its ground state to excited state As
the electrons emit that accumulated
energy as they return to lower orbitals ,
photons are produced.
Flame test

4. Through this chart,
we can infer that:
the closer the color
is to purple, the
higher the energy
levels are
Flame test

5. Procedure
Based on the given instruction on the Lab Manual

6.  Test tubes were prepared
for the experiment in
order to store the liquids,
while HCL was then
placed on an Erlenmeyer
flask. Each chemical was
then placed of each given
test tube and labelled The
nichrome wire was then
dipped at a chemical ,
then was placed at the tip
of the inner flame of the
Bunsen burner, the
change of colour of the
flame was then recorded.
Procedure.

7. Once it was
recorded, the wire
was then cleaned
by HCL, after which
the process of flame
testing was done
repeatedly until all
samples was then
tested and
recorded.
procedure

8.  After all of it are
tested, an unknown
liquid then was
tested. Once the
unknown liquid was
determined by its
flame colour it was
then recorded.
Unknown chemical

9. Element Colour
potassium pink
calcium orange
copper green
sodium- orange
lithium Red orange
barium yellow
strontium red
Results

10. The flame changed colour once the
nichrome wire, with a solution was placed
to the flame.
The flame seems to be able to retains its
colour, after the wire, with the solution is
taken away from it.
The wire is observed to not give any
colour to the flame anymore right after
HCL was used to clean it.
Observations

11. Guide Questions

12. One difficulty found in the experiment is
that there are some flame colors which
are found very similar to the other.
in order to avoid similarly colored flames,
thorough cleaning of the loop and a
restarting the test of the same colour is
necessary.
Difficulties found in the
experiment?

13.  flame is used because
heat makes the metallic
ions more energetic as it
makes them transfer to
higher states and also
cause a reaction.
 The hottest part of the
Bunsen burner is the tip
of the inner flame
because the heat found in
the hottest and has the
highest energy level
compared to all the other
parts of the flame.
Flame

14. Ifthe sample has more than one metal,
then the flame would emit colors which
are mix from both components of that
sample which makes the result seem
confusing and unreliable.
More than one metal component

15. Real life situations

16.  The metal
components found in
fireworks are reacted
to the flame and
creates color as it
explodes.
 Mixing metallic
properties is done
here also such as
mixing chemicals that
make red and blue
explosion in order to
make a purple
explosion.
Fire works

17.  Forensic science uses
flame as one of its
methods in solving
crime.
 Through conducting
flame test on the
victims blood, they
would notice in the
victim is poisoned or
not , if it emitted a
flame color found only
on toxic elements or
compounds like Barium.
Forensic analysis

18.  Images :
 Gondhia , Reema. "The Future." THE CHEMISTRY OF FIREWORKS. Imerial College London, n.d. Web. 5
 Aug 2012. <http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/local/projects/gondhia/images/stillfirework7.jpg>.
 "Question Mark ." Answers. Getty Images, Inc, n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 <http://www.answers.com/topic/question-mark-large-image>.
 Helmenstine , Anne Marie, Ph.D., . "Flame Tests." about.com. Chemistry, n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 < http://chemistry.about.com/od/firecombustionchemistry/ig/Flame-Tests/ >.
 "Is Worship an Experience or an Offering? Leaving the “Heavenly Sanctuary” for the “Laboratory.”." My
 two cents. Wordpress, January 10, 2007. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 <http://mytwocents.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/test-tubes.jpg>.
 Shakhashiri, Bassam. "Fireworks!." Chemical of the week. Science is fun, n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 < http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/fireworks/images/spectrum.gif >.
 "The Bunsen burner." GCSE Bitesiz. BBC, n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/images/gatewaysci_05.gifl>.
 "Forensics." UNODC. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 <http://www.unodc.org/images/southeasterneurope//forensic_image.jpg>.
 Web
 Shakhashiri, Bassam. "Fireworks!." Chemical of the week. Science is fun, n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 <http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/fireworks/fireworks.htm>.
 Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.. "Flame Tests." about.com. Chemistry, n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 <http://chemistry.about.com/od/analyticalchemistry/a/flametest.htm>.
 . "Flame Test." howstuffworks. howstuffworks, n.d. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 <http://science.howstuffworks.com/flame-test-info.htm>.
 Clark, Jim. "FLAME TESTS." chemguide. Understanding Chemistry, 2005. Web. 5 Aug 2012.
 <http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/group1/flametests.html>.
 "The salt cellar mystery." Chemistry the next generation. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2009. Web. 5 Aug
 2012. <http://www.rsc.org/images/Saltercellarmystery_tcm18-159233.pdf>.
Internet sources