Lab 5- Flame Tests and Atomic Spectra
Part One: Flame Tests
When solutions of metals are heated in a Bunsen burner flame, they give off characteristic colours. For example, sodium
makes the flame turn bright yellow – this is the same yellow colour made by sodium street lamps and many fireworks.
Materials:
Bunsen burner
Wooden splints (9 per group)
Solutions (1.0 mol/L) of the following metal salts
lithium chloride
barium chloride
strontium chloride
calcium chloride
copper(II)chloride
sodium chloride
potassium chloride
sodium chloride/potassium chloride mixture
an unknown metal chloride solution
Procedure:
1. Obtain a cobalt blue glass and 9 wooden splints that have been soaking in the metal salt solutions (Why is soaking the
splints important?). Be sure to label each wooden splint with the names of the salts so they are not mixed up.
2. Light the Bunsen burner and open the air vent to obtain a non-luminous flame with two blue cones. Be sure to avoid a
yellow flame. (Why?)
3. Carefully place the end of the wooden splint that was soaked in the metal salt solution at the top of the inner blue cone.
Record the color and intensity (bright/faint) of the flame in the data table. The color given off by the salt is the initial
color observed, not the yellow-orange color produced by the burning wood. (To avoid burning the wood, wave the
splint through the flame rather than holding it right in the flame).
4. Repeat with the other 8 salts. Be sure to record the colors as precisely as possible.
5. For the sodium potassium mixture, observe the colors as before and then again by looking through the cobalt glass.
The cobalt glass cuts out any yellow-orange color.
6. If more observations are needed, dip the clean end of the wooden splint in the solutions for a few minutes and repeat.
Otherwise, discard the wooden splints at the end of the experiment.
Data Table:
Metal found in the salt Flame Color and Intensity
Lithium
Barium
Strontium
Calcium
Copper
Sodium
Potassium
Sodium and Potassium
Unknown
Analysis:
The electromagnetic spectrum is shown at the beginning of this document. Recall that energy is proportional to frequency,
while frequency is inversely proportional to wavelength. Use this information to answer questions 1-4 below.
1. List the colors observed in this lab from the highest energy to the lowest energy.
2. List the colors observed in this lab from the highest frequency to the lowest frequency.
3. List the colors observed in this lab from the shortest wavelength to the longest wavelength.
4. What is the relationship between energy, frequency, and wavelength?
5. Based on the results of your experiment, what metal is found in the unknown? Explain.
6. Do you think we can use the flame test to determine the identity of unknowns in a mixture? Why or why not?
7. How are electrons “excited” in this part of the experiment? What does it mean the electrons are “excited”?
8. Explain why we did not see distinct lines when the metal salts were burned.
9. What particles are found in the chemicals that may be responsible for the production of colored light?
10. Why do different chemicals emit different colors of light?
11. Why do you think the chemicals have to be heated in the flame first before the colored light is emitted?
12. Colorful light emissions are applicable to everyday life. Where else have you observed colorful light emissions?
Are these light emission applications related? Explain.
13. How do we know for sure what the sun is comprised of even though we have never been there?
Part Two: Atomic Spectra
During this experiment you will make use of a device known as a diffraction grating spectrometer. A diffraction grating
splits a single beam of light into the many colors which it contains. The colors should be ordered like a rainbow, from blue
on one side to red on the other. The brightness of the image in each color shows you how much light the object is emitting
of that color.
We will be using these diffraction gratings to look at "spectral tubes". These are tubes which contain gases composed of
different elements. By plugging these tubes into the wall, we can send electricity through them, which adds energy to the
gas. This causes the atoms to become "excited", which is how we describe atoms whose electrons have been raised into
high energy levels. After a short amount of time the electrons drop back into lower energy states, releasing a photon to
carry off the extra energy. Depending on the number of transitions in each atom and the energy levels in it, photons of
different wavelengths and thus different colors are released from each gas.
Each element has its own unique line spectrum and is thus referred to as the “fingerprint” for a particular element. The
spectra for each element are unique because each element contains differing numbers of electrons and thus different
energy levels.
Think about the following questions as you look at the spectral lines corresponding to each gas:
Are the lines closely packed, or spread out over many different colors?
Are there many lines you can see, or only a few?
How do the colors of the lines from each tube relate to the color you see from each tube when you don't look
through the gratings?
You will also be observing other light sources to see how their spectra compare to that of the gas tubes.
Materials:
gas discharge tube
gas filled tubes (hydrogen, helium, neon, argon, mercury, and an unknown)
spectroscope/diffraction grating tube (or glasses)
incandescent light (40W light bulb)
fluorescent light
bug light
Procedure:
1. Go to one of the lab stations where a hydrogen gas discharge tube is set up.
2. Turn on the electricity (for no more than 30 seconds) and observe the color given off by the gas. Record your
observations in the data table below. If more time for observation is needed, turn off the tube for ~15 seconds and
then turn on for another 30 seconds. Do not leave the tube continuously turned on; otherwise, it will burn out the
tube.
3. Hold the spectrometer so the diffraction slit is towards the light source and the diffraction grating (window) is
towards you. (See diagram below).
Diffraction slit Diffraction grating
4. Look through the diffraction grating and observe and record the colored lines (spectrum) produced by hydrogen
gas. Record only one set of colors. Complete the data table below and then draw the color lines in the spectrum
boxes that follow.
Data Table: Line spectra of elements:
Color of the Number of different
discharge tube colored lines
in the spectrum
Hydrogen
Helium
Neon
Argon
Mercury
Unknown
Draw a detailed view of the spectra (including approximate wavelengths) observed below:
Hydrogen:
Helium:
Neon:
Argon:
Mercury:
Unknown:
5. Now investigate a series of general light sources such as indirect sunlight (Never look directly at the sun!), shade,
fluorescent lights, a light bulb, etc. and record what is observed in the second data table below.
6. Draw a detailed view of all spectra observed in the spectrum boxes on the next page.
Data Table: Spectra of other light sources:
Color of the Line or continuous
discharge tube Spectra (or both)?
40W Light bulb
(incandescent)
Indirect
sunlight
Partial shade
Fluorescent
light
Bug light
Incandescent (40 W light bulb):
Indirect Sunlight:
Partial Shade:
Fluorescent Light:
Analysis:
1. What is the difference between a line spectrum and a continuous spectrum? Provide an example of each.
2. Which light source produced both a continuous and a line spectrum?
3. Each line in the emission spectrum of the hydrogen corresponds to an electromagnetic radiation with a specific
wavelength. Match the 4 observed colors with the following wavelengths: 410 nm, 434 nm, 486 nm, and 656 nm.
4. How are electrons “excited” in this part of the lab? What happens when the electrons relax?
5. What do the different colors in a line spectrum represent? Why are the spectra for each element unique?
6. Which element produced the largest number of lines? Which element produced the smallest number of lines?
Explain why elements produce different numbers of spectral lines.
7. Do you notice a similarity in the line spectrum of Mercury and the spectrum observed with the fluorescent bulb?
Explain why this might be.
8. Each element has its own unique line emission spectrum, just like fingerprints. Explain how this technique can be
used to determine the elemental composition of stars.