Flame Test Lab Report
Introduction:
Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles found in all atoms. Electrons have particle-wave duality, meaning they exhibit characteristics of particles, and characteristics of waves. A wave is a periodic function, meaning that the function returns to the same value at regular intervals. Also, waves have crests and troughs, meaning there are repeated local maxima (crests) and minima (troughs). Waves also have a wavelength and frequency. The wavelength is the distance in meters from one point on a wave to the next time that exact point is repeated, for example, the distance from one crest, to the next time there is a crest. This is also the distance in meters of one period of the wave. The frequency of a wave is the amount of times its wavelength or period is repeated in a unit of time. Frequency and wavelength are …show more content…
Lab Questions:
Are flame tests valuable for detecting metal ions present in a mixture of metal ions?
Flame test may not be valuable for detecting individual metal ions present in a mixture of metal ions. Although each metal ion emits a different color of light, which corresponds to a certain wavelength of light, the presence of some elements may over power the flame and cause only certain wavelengths to be seen. For example, if sodium is present, it will overpower the other elements in the mixture, as the colors/wavelengths that they emit will not be visible with the yellow color from sodium. Also, it is very hard to tell which exactly which wavelengths of light are present if colors are blended.
List the metallic elements (excluding the unknowns) used in the flame tests in order of increasing energy of light emitted.
Strontium Chloride
Calcium Chloride
Lithium Chloride
Sodium Chloride
Barium Chloride
Copper (II) Chloride
Potassium
Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles found in all atoms. Electrons have particle-wave duality, meaning they exhibit characteristics of particles, and characteristics of waves. A wave is a periodic function, meaning that the function returns to the same value at regular intervals. Also, waves have crests and troughs, meaning there are repeated local maxima (crests) and minima (troughs). Waves also have a wavelength and frequency. The wavelength is the distance in meters from one point on a wave to the next time that exact point is repeated, for example, the distance from one crest, to the next time there is a crest. This is also the distance in meters of one period of the wave. The frequency of a wave is the amount of times its wavelength or period is repeated in a unit of time. Frequency and wavelength are …show more content…
Lab Questions:
Are flame tests valuable for detecting metal ions present in a mixture of metal ions?
Flame test may not be valuable for detecting individual metal ions present in a mixture of metal ions. Although each metal ion emits a different color of light, which corresponds to a certain wavelength of light, the presence of some elements may over power the flame and cause only certain wavelengths to be seen. For example, if sodium is present, it will overpower the other elements in the mixture, as the colors/wavelengths that they emit will not be visible with the yellow color from sodium. Also, it is very hard to tell which exactly which wavelengths of light are present if colors are blended.
List the metallic elements (excluding the unknowns) used in the flame tests in order of increasing energy of light emitted.
Strontium Chloride
Calcium Chloride
Lithium Chloride
Sodium Chloride
Barium Chloride
Copper (II) Chloride
Potassium