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The Flame Test

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• Flame Jetting

The Flame Test is a safer version of the traditional Rainbow Demonstration , an exercise popularly conducted in chemistry classrooms. The purpose of The Flame Test is to demonstrate to students the variety of colors produced when different metals or salts meet a flame. It contributes to their understanding of:

• Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Atomic structure
• Atomic spectra
• Visible light spectrum

Back-to-School Safety

• Joint Statement from the CSB and ACS: The Importance of Laboratory Safety in the Classroom  [PDF]
• Guidelines for Chemical Laboratoy Safety in Secondary Schools [PDF]

A Safer "Rainbow Flame" Demo for the Classroom

Developed by the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT)

By the end of this demonstration, students should be able to:

• Use flame tests to identify a metal or metallic salt by the color that it produces when it is put into a flame.
• Calculate the frequency of light given its wavelength.
• Calculate the wavelength of light given its frequency.
• Identify an unknown metal by the color it emits when passed through a flame.

Instructions for Conducting the Flame Test

Exercise extreme caution around large containers of flammable liquids in the presence of an ignition source. Flame jetting can occur, causing flames to shoot out 15 feet or more.

More about Flame Jetting

Companion Resources for the Flame Test

• Playing with Fire: Chemical Safety Expertise Required ( Journal of Chemical Education - free access through 2018)
• Safety Data Sheets: Information That Could Save Your Life ( ChemMatters )
• Teacher's Guide [DOCX] ( ChemMatters )
• Key Lessons for Preventing Incidents from Flammable Chemicals in Educational Demonstrations (Chemical Safety Board)

More about the Traditional Rainbow Demonstration

Notice: ACS's Committee on Chemical Safety recommends that the “Rainbow” demonstration on open benches involving the use of flammable solvents such as methanol be discontinued immediately due to extreme risk of flash fires and flame jetting.  

• Safety Alert: The Rainbow Demonstration [PDF] (ACS, Committee on Chemical Safety)
• How To Make Chemistry Classroom Demonstrations And Experiments Safer ( C&EN )

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Flame Test – Colorful Elements

Burning metals reveal themselves from unexpected, awesome colors in a simple flame test.

Print this Experiment

Blue, orange, and yellow flames are pretty common. What about green or purple flames? When you’re used to the everyday colors of flames, colorful changes like these can be pretty cool. These surprising colors are the result of the presence of specific metals in the burning material. Here are a couple of household materials that contain metals that are easily seen and identifiable in a Flame Test.

Experiment Videos

Here's What You'll Need

2 popsicle sticks, cream of tartar, small glass dish for each powder tested, flame source, small cup of water, container of water to douse the flame, adult supervision, let's try it.

Pour a little powder to test into each small dish. Dip one end of a popsicle stick into the water to moisten it.

Dip the wetted popsicle stick into the boric acid. Coat the tip of the stick completely.

It helps to dim the lights in your lab so the colors are easier to see. Light the flame and place the boric acid-covered popsicle stick into the flame. Move the flame under the stick to find the best color. Look for an unexpected color in portions of the flame. An assistant could take a picture of it. Douse the flame in the large container of water.

Dip the end of another popsicle stick in water. Coat the tip with the cream of tartar.

Follow the procedure in Step 3 for this test. You may see some surprising flashes. This color is harder to see but it’s there.

How Does It Work

This activity is called a flame test and it’s a real procedure used in labs. Its purpose is to identify specific elements in a material. When the boric acid was in the flame, you probably notice a bright green portion of the flame. You may have seen it only briefly but it was there. The green color denotes the presence of the element boron (B) which you’d expect in boric acid. The cream of tartar yielded a purple-colored flame. Purple is associated with the presence of potassium (K). That’s because cream of tartar is a potassium salt.

These element-specific colors are catalogued in an emission spectrum. The emission spectral color of an element occurs when certain electrons in an atom are excited to a higher energy level and then make a transition from that level to their normal energy state. In that downward transition, energy is released as a photon of light at a specific wavelength of color. The hiding element is revealed by color!

Colors of Other Elements

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Metal Ion Flame Test Colours Chart

This graphic looks at the colour of various metal and metalloid ions that occur during flame tests. Most people probably remember doing this experiment in school chemistry lessons, if not with the full range of ions shown here, but, for the uninitiated, a brief explanation of the origin of the colours follows.

Flame tests are utilised in chemistry to identify the metal ions in compounds. They are more useful for some metals than others; particularly for the Group 1 metals, as they provide a good way of quickly identifying the metal ion present.

To carry out the flame tests, a small amount of the compound being tested will be held in a flame and the colour given off observed. This colour originates from the movement of electrons in the metal ion. When heated, the electrons gain energy, and are ‘excited’ into higher energy levels; however, the electrons occupying these levels are more energetically unstable, and they tend to fall back down to their original energy levels, releasing energy as they do so. This energy is released as light, with the characteristic flame colours of different metal ions due to varying electron transitions.

As stated, these tests work better for some metal ions than others; in particular, those ions shown on the bottom row of the infographic are generally quite faint and hard to distinguish. Sodium’s flame colour is also very strong, and can easily mask the colours of other metal ions.

This graphic is also purchasable in large poster form, or even on a mug, here .

The graphic in this article is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . See the site’s  content usage guidelines .

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13 Comments

• Trackback: Fireworks displays sizzle, pop and burst with color because of chemistry: 5 science things to know (video) | Oregon News
• Trackback: Fireworks displays sizzle, pop and burst with color because of chemistry: 5 science things to know (video) | Idaho News
• Trackback: Metal Ion Flame Test Colours [Infographic] - Chemistry.Com.Pk

Why all of the metals is not good for flame test

• Trackback: Atoms | Pearltrees

SpaceWalker189

Very nice representation of the different colors that metal ions produce when heated.

• Trackback: It’s Bunsen Burner Day! – redlegagenda

Thohari Anwardah

I think it’s more good if using the original material

• Trackback: School Chemistry Lab Safety
• Trackback: Flame test colours | Rєvєrєηdø's Błøg

Love the graphics – thanks!

is it the metal or non-metal part of the compound that produces the colour? explain!

• Trackback: رنگ های تست شعله (پوستر) - وب سایت شیمی

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The flame test is a fun and useful analytical technique to help you identify the chemical composition of a sample based on the way it changes the color of a flame. However, interpreting your results can be tricky if you don't have a reference. There are many shades of green, red, and blue, usually described with color names you wouldn't find on even a large crayon box.

Remember, the color will depend on the fuel you are using for your flame and whether you're viewing the result with the naked eye or through a filter. Describe your result in as much detail as you can. You might want to take pictures with your phone to compare results from other samples. Keep in mind that your results may vary depending on your technique and the purity of your sample. This photo reference of test flame colors is a good place to start, though.

Sodium, Iron: Yellow

Most fuels contain sodium (e.g., candles and wood), so you're familiar with the yellow color this metal adds to a flame. The color is muted when sodium salts are placed in a blue flame, such as a Bunsen burner or alcohol lamp. Be aware, sodium yellow overwhelms other colors. If your sample has any sodium contamination, the color you observe may include an unexpected contribution from yellow. Iron can also produce a golden flame (although sometimes orange).

Calcium: Orange

Calcium salts produce an orange flame. However, the color may be muted, so it can be hard to distinguish between the yellow of sodium or gold of iron. The usual lab sample is calcium carbonate. If the specimen is not contaminated with sodium, you should get a nice orange color.

Potassium: Purple

Dorling Kindersley / Getty Images

Potassium salts produce a characteristic purple or violet color in a flame. Assuming your burner flame is blue, it may be difficult to see a big color change. Also, the color may be paler than you expect (more lilac).

Cesium: Purple-Blue

Philip Evans / Getty Images

The flame test color you're most likely to confuse with potassium is cesium. Its salts color a flame violet or blue-purple. The good news here is most school labs don't have cesium compounds. Side-by-side, potassium tends to be paler and have a slight pink tint. It may not be possible to tell the two metals apart using only this test.

Lithium, Rubidium: Hot Pink

stay hungry for more / Getty Images

Lithium yields a flame test somewhere between red and purple. It's possible to get a vivid hot pink color, although more muted colors are also possible. It's less red than strontium (below). It's possible to confuse the result with potassium.

Another element that may produce a similar color is rubidium. For that matter, so can radium, but it's not commonly encountered.

Strontium: Red

The flame test color for strontium is the red of emergency flares and red fireworks. It's a deep crimson to brick red.

Barium, Manganese(II), and Molybdenum: Green

Barium salts produce a green flame in the flame test. It's usually described as a yellow-green, apple-green, or lime-green color. The identity of the anion and the concentration of the chemical matter. Sometimes barium produces a yellow flame without noticeable green. Manganese(II) and molybdenum may also yield yellow-green flames.

Copper(II): Green

Copper colors a flame green, blue, or both depending on its oxidation state. Copper(II) produces a green flame. The compound it's most likely to be confused with is boron, which produces a similar green. (See below.)

Boron: Green

ThoughtCo / Anne Helmenstine

Boron colors a flame bright green . It's a common sample for a school lab because borax is readily available.

Copper(I): Blue

Copper(I) salts produce a blue flame test result. If there is some copper(II) present, you'll get blue-green.

Exclusion Flame Test: Blue

Blue is tricky because it's the usual color of a methanol or burner flame. Other elements that can impart a blue color to a flame test are zinc, selenium, antimony, arsenic, lead, and indium. Plus, there are a host of elements that don't change the color of a flame. If the flame test result is blue, you won't get much information, except you can exclude some elements.

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Flame tests using metal salts

In this classic science experiment, students report on the colours produced when flame tests are carried out on different metal salts.

Student Sheet

In this practical I will be:

• Observing and recording the findings of the practical
• Providing oral and written explanations of my observations, based on scientific evidence and understanding.
• Comparing and grouping materials on the basis of their observable properties.

Introduction:

A local priest has claimed that he has the ability to directly talk to the gods, such as Anubis and Osiris. As an ancient Egyptian science-artist you are highly sceptical of his claims. After going to see this priest it turns out that he is turning flames different colours by throwing different ground minerals on to the flame. Obviously it isn’t the gods’ doing but you are intrigued as to what is happening. You decide to investigate further…

(Wear safety glasses and tie back long hair)

• Saturated calcium ethanoate solution (must be saturated)
• Ethanol (IDA)
• Lithium chloride (LiCl) solution in a spray bottle; 1 spatula amount in 100 cm 3 water
• Copper(II) chloride (CuCl2) solution in a spray bottle;1 spatula amount in 100 cm 3 water
• Sodium chloride (NaCl) solution in a spray bottle; 1 spatula amount in 100 cm 3 water
• 2 heat resistant mats
• 1 beaker (250 cm 3 )
• Lithium chloride (LiCl) solution in a beaker; 1 spatula amount in 100 cm 3 water
• Copper(II) chloride (CuCl2) solution in a beaker; 1 spatula amount in 100 cm 3 water
• Sodium chloride (NaCl) solution in a beaker; 1 spatula amount in 100 cm 3 water
• 1 heat resistant mats
• Bunsen burner
• 12 cm length of nichrome or platinum wire

The following solutions each in a 250 cm 3 conical flask:

2 M calcium chloride (IRRITANT)

1 M copper(II) chloride (IRRITANT)

2 M lithium chloride (IRRITANT)

2 M potassium chloride (low hazard)

1 M strontium chloride (IRRITANT)

2 M sodium chloride (low hazard)

• Plenty of spills soaked in water overnight.
• Bunsen burners or adjustable commercial blow torch
• Pour 50 cm 3 of the saturated calcium ethanoate solution into the 250 cm 3 beaker. Carefully add ethanol to the calcium ethanoate.
• Stir until a solid is formed. If no solid is formed add more ethanol.
• Using a spatula carefully lift out the solid and place it on a heat resistant mat. 
• Let it stand for a minute to allow it to dry enough to be lit.
• Use a lighted splint to light the solid.
• Spray the flame with the lithium salt solution. Note the colour and record the result.
• Spray with the copper salt solution. Note the colour and record the result.
• Spray with the sodium salt solution. Note the colour and record the result.
• Put the flame out by carefully placing the other heat resistant mat on top of it.
• Take the nichrome or platinum wire and create a small loop at the end by bending the wire.
• Light the Bunsen burner.
• Turn the collar on the Bunsen burner so that you have an invisible or pale blue flame.
• Burn the loop end of the wire to remove any dust.
• Dip the loop into the lithium salt solution.
• Observe and record the colour seen.
• Burn the loop end of the wire to remove any lithium salt.
• Dip the loop into the copper salt solution.
• Burn the loop end of the wire to remove any copper salt.
• Dip the loop into the sodium salt solution.
• Put a dry spill into each of the metal salt solutions in conical flasks and leave.
• Use a dry spill to light the Bunsen. 
• Take one of the spills from one of the conical flasks containing a metal salt solution.
• Wave your spill over the Bunsen flame and observe its colour. Then extinguish the used spill and dispose of it. 
• Record the metal salt solution and the flame colour.
• Repeat steps 2 to 4 for each of the other metal salt solutions you have been provided with.

Calcium ethanoate is a very hygroscopic solid. This means it absorbs and coordinates with water very easily. When ethanol is added to a saturated aqueous solution of calcium ethanoate it forms a white gel. This is because the calcium ethanoate is relatively insoluble in ethanol, as opposed to water, so it precipitates as an inflammable solid, a firelighter that burns with a very clear flame so that any colour given to the flame is due to the metal ion in the salt solution.

When a metal salt solution is sprayed onto the flame the electrons in the metal are excited and jump from one electron shell level to the next highest shell level. They are said to be excited . They cannot remain there so as they return to the original shell, known as the grounded state the energy gained is lost in the form of light known as emission .

The colour of the light depends upon the metal (lithium(I) gives a magenta red-pink flame, calcium an orange red flame, potassium a lilac flame, strontium a crimson red flame, copper(II) gives a blue or green flame and sodium(I) gives a yellow flame). These colours are also often used in fireworks to give the different colours we see when they burn. Sodium is also used in some street lights and that is why they appear yellow when on. 

If the flame is looked at through a spectroscope it will give a characteristic spectrum. This is used in chemistry to analyse a material for type and concentration of atoms. Chemists ‘burn’ the substance and measure the frequency (colour) of the light given out. This process is called Atomic Emission Spectroscopy.

Teacher and Technician Sheet

In this practical students will:

• Observe and record the findings of the practical
• Provide oral and written explanations of their observations, based on scientific evidence and understanding.
• Compare and group materials on the basis of their observable properties.

This is an old and tested experiment but when dealing with colour and chemistry it would be difficult to leave it out – particularly if spectroscopy is to be considered.

It is possible to create a variety of coloured flames by burning a small amount of different metal salts in a fire. This is the basis of fireworks.

In chemistry terms the fact some metals burn with a characteristic flame colour is important since it allows us to introduce the concept of spectroscopy.

As an introduction fireworks might be a good starting point. A discussion could begin with what it is that makes them spectacular and lead to the types of effects seen in fireworks, especially the colours.

Curriculum range:

This activity is designed for secondary age students but could be used with upper primary pupils. It links with:

• reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions;
• using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings;
• comparing and grouping together materials on the basis of their properties;
• building a more systematic understanding of materials by exploring; and comparing the properties of a broad range of materials.

Going further:

Working pairs students can look at the flame colour using a spectroscope which can be a laboratory one or one they build themselves. There are directions to be found by clicking here .

Hazard warnings:

Calcium ethanoate – Low hazard

Ethanol (IDA) – Flammable may be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption may act as an irritant. 

Lithium chloride – Solid is Acute Toxin Cat 4 (HARMFUL) 

Copper(II) chloride – Acute Toxin Cat 4 (HARMFUL) and a SKIN/EYE IRRIRANT (Cat 2) and HAZARDOUSTO THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT WITH LONG LASTING EFFECTS (cat 1)

Sodium chloride – No significant risk (Low Hazard)

Potassium chloride – No significant risk (Low Hazard)

Strontium chloride – Can cause SERIOUS EYE DAMAGE (Cat 1) and is a SKIN IRRITANT (Cat 2) and a RESPIRATORY IRRITANT.

Safety goggles and should be worn. Long hair should be tied back and secured when using naked flames in a laboratory.

Avoid permanganates, nitrates and chlorates. These produce harmful by-products when burned.

Equipment for method 1:

• Copper(II) chloride (CuCl2) solution in a spray bottle; 1 spatula amount in 100 cm 3 water

Equipment for method 2:

• 1 heat resistant  mats

Equipment for method 3:

• 2 M calcium chloride (SKIN/EYE IRRITANT)
• 1 M copper(II) chloride (SKIN/EYE IRRITANT)
• 2 M lithium chloride Low hazard
• 2 M potassium chloride (Low Hazard)
• 1 M strontium chloride (SKIN IRRITANT, EYE DAMAGE)
• 2 M sodium chloride (Low Hazard)
• Bunsen burners
• Heatproof mats

Technical notes:

This experiment can be accompanied by the RSC’s Flame Colours – a demonstration carried out by the teacher as instructed.

The teacher demonstration is the only time that ethanol should be near a naked flame.

The metal salt solutions can be made and stored in conical flasks stoppered with rubber bungs prior to using. 

Some spills are soaked in water to ensure that the flame colour can be observed properly before the spill burns away and reduces the risk of burning to the student.

When preparing for use, the excess water can be squeezed from the spills that have been soaking in water overnight before placing some of them in each of the conical flasks containing the metal salt solutions. 

Beakers (or similar) containing water could be provided for the students to use to extinguish their spills.

Method 3 is very easy to set up and use. 

It is safe from Year 7 upwards and the teacher demonstration suggested can accompany it. 

The students should be able to observe and record the relevant flame colours and understand the reasons behind this from the accompanying notes. 

Cobalt blue glass can be provided if available. The metal salt’s flame colour may be observed more easily when the yellow light is absorbed by the blue in the glass.

Lithium – magenta red flame

Calcium - orange red flame

Potassium - lilac flame

Strontium – crimson red flame

Copper – blue or green flame (depends on the copper used)

Sodium - yellow flame

The accompanying notes may need to be adjusted depending upon whether all the method options are provided or not.

More resources

Add context and inspire your learners with our short career videos showing how chemistry is making a difference . 

Flame tests using metal salts: student sheet

Flame tests using metal salts: teacher sheet.

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Introduction

The flame test is one of the most commonly used analytical processes in chemistry. It is widely used to detect and analyze the presence of certain elements in the given salt or compound. Primarily, the flame test detects the presence of metal ions in a compound, and as ions of each element have a specific characteristic based in their emission spectrum, the flame test for every element is different and distinctive.

This distinction is shown by the color of flames given out when the salt containing certain metal ions is burnt.

It is important to note here that the emission spectrum of each element that determines the flame color involves atoms instead of ions. The transition of electrons in the atoms tends to produce the visible color lines which are seen in the flame test.

Chemistry Behind Flame Test

The chemistry behind the flame test is simple. As we know that when an atom or ion is excited by heating to high temperatures, the electrons are promoted from their normal unexcited state into other orbitals, known as higher orbitals, as they have higher energy as compared to the normal or ground state orbitals.

When these excited electron falls back down to lower levels which can happen simultaneously or in several steps, the energy they have absorbed is released. This energy is released in the form of light.

Each jump involves the release of a specific amount of energy in the form of light. And each transition from higher to lower orbital corresponds to a frequency or wavelength.

All these jumps or transitions result in the formation of a spectrum of lines. Some of these lines are part of the visible part of the spectrum.

And the final color we see is a combination of all these individual colors. This color is the distinctive color of the element we observe in the flame test.

For instance, in the case of potassium or sodium ions or many other metal ions, the transition of electrons involves very high energies. This result in lines that fall in the UV part of the spectrum which is invisible to the naked eye.

This explains the role of atoms rather than ions to be the basis of flame test.

And the jumps we can see in flame tests are due to falling of electrons from a higher to a lower level in the metal atoms.

When we put sodium chloride, containing sodium ions, into a flame, the sodium atoms are formed as a result of certain sodium ions that regain their electrons and produce neutral sodium atoms again.

The orbitals and their configuration are very important features in each element with respect to a flame test.   

The structure of the unexcited state of sodium atom 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 1 and within the flame, there are different sorts of excited states of the electrons.

Sodium gives a bright orange-yellow flame color. This results from promoted electrons falling back from the 3p 1 level to their normal 3s 1 level.

The exact size of the potential energy jumps varies from one metal to another.

This means that each metal will have a different pattern of spectral lines, and so have a distinct flame color.

The elements of the Group1 are the easiest metals that can be accurately identified using the flame test.

For other metals, flame test does not provide a definitive identification, however, it gives a general idea of the probable compound.

Practical Process Detail

The procedure of this test is simple as it involves introducing sample of the compound or element to a non-luminous, hot flame, and examining the color of the resulting flame.

The flame test is an easy experiment to set up and is often conducted in science classes.

The principle of the test is that the atoms of the sample evaporate and as they are hot, they give off light when present in the flame.

A mixture of samples of a large amount of sample can also emit light. But such light is not good for identification analysis.

As described earlier, the individual atoms of a sample that are present in the flame emit light due to the transitions of electron between different atomic energy levels. Such transitions emit light that has very specific frequencies, and which is the characteristic of the chemical element.

Hence, the flame gets the color. And it is determined by the characteristics and properties of the chemical element of the material that is introduced into the flame.

There are certain points that need to be followed to obtain precise results in a flame test.

For instance, the samples are carried on a platinum wire, which is repeatedly cleaned with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to remove traces of any elements.

The compound to be assessed is usually made into a paste with concentrated hydrochloric acid, as it is volatile, and give good quality results.

It is also recommended to use different flames to avoid errors in the results due to contaminated flames, and to confirm the precision of the color.

The presence of sodium is considered as a common component in many compounds. And its spectrum is likely to dominate the light spectrum of other elements. To avoid this, the test flame is often viewed using a cobalt blue glass that filters out the yellow of sodium and allows the accurate presentation of color of other metal.

Flame Test Results of Common Elements

Here is the list of most common elements that are detected through the flame test. They have a distinct emission spectrum that allows them to show specific colored flame in a flame test. However, the colors given in the table are only a guide as colors are perceived differently by different people.

Certain precious metals, including platinum, titanium, palladium, gold, and silver do not produce a distinctive flame color. However, some can produce sparks when exposed to hot flame.

Safety Notes

The flame test can be dangerous if proper protocol and safety measures are not taken. It is advised to use good safety techniques.  We should wear a chemical apron and good quality chemical splash resistant goggles. It is also important that we practice the flame test under the supervision of a teacher.  

https://www.soinc.org/sites/default/files/uploaded_files/flametest.pdf

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Flame Tests and Spectroscopy: Get Excited About Color

Have you ever wondered what makes fireworks sparkle with color, why decorative fireplace logs burn green or blue, or how birthday cake candles burn with a flame that matches the candle? Students can investigate the phenomenon of colored flames using flame tests and spectroscopy .

This visually impactful lab incorporates quantitative data to help explain abstract aspects of atomic theory and electron behavior. What happens as electrons gain additional kinetic energy from a heat source? How does electron energy relate to color? Find the explanation below.  

Bohr’s Atomic Model

 In the Bohr model of the atom, electrons are arranged in circular pathways around the nucleus, which are dictated by a fixed amount of energy corresponding to its pathway. The electrons can move, or jump, from one level to the next by absorbing or emitting a given amount of fixed energy termed a quantum of energy.

The electron falls back to its lower-energy or ground state, once previously absorbed energy is released. The energy emitted is a photon of light of specific wavelength or color. A flame test exposes electrons to heat, resulting in signature colors of flame , enabling identification of elements.

Through a Spectroscope

Scientists developed a tool to break down the color into its spectral line components. A spectroscope splits the emitted light into its component wavelengths when the light passes through a diffraction grating. In a flame test, all the wavelengths of light emitted by an element’s electrons blend into a particular color perceived by the human eye. When the colored flame is viewed through a spectroscope, the diffraction grating splits the incoming light into the component wavelengths, so that identification and measurement of the element’s unique color bands, or spectrum, is possible.

Highly abstract concepts of atomic structure and electron behavior become visible in an engaging display of color and light. Use the Like Salt to a Flame lab kit and the infographic Flame Test Colors and Bright-Line Emission Spectra for Metal Chlorides to facilitate lab setup, procedures, and data analysis. Be the teacher to ignite flames of wonder and passion for science in your students!

College Resources

Calibrating ph meters, dimensional analysis, which chemistry kit is right for you, atomic theory, electron configuration and periodic trends, modeling alpha and beta decay, factors that affect reaction rate, molecular geometry with balloons, properties of water.

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What Is The Flame Test?

A flame test is a qualitative analysis used by the chemist to identify the metal and metalloid ion in the sample. Not all metal ions emit colour when heated in the gas burner. A flame test is the simplest way of identifying the presence of group 1 metal ions in the compound. For other metals, there are plenty of reliable techniques, but a flame test will give a better hint on where to look.

There are some safety techniques to follow while performing the flame test in the laboratory.

• Use chemical splash/impact goggles
• Perform the flame test under the direction or supervision of chemistry teachers.

When the sample is heated, metal ions gain energy and shift from a lower energy level to a higher energy level. Ions are not stable at a high energy level, and they return to the ground with energy-release. The energy is released in the form of light and it varies from one metal ion to another. Thus, each metal ion gives a characteristic change of colour when it is heated.

Practical details to carry out the flame test

Platinum or nickel-chromium alloy (nichrome) wire.

• Cleaning the wire is achieved by dipping it in the concentrated solution of HCl (hydrochloric acid) and burning it in the hot bunsen burner flame until the wire shows no colour in the flame.
• The clean wire is either dipped into the powder or in the ionic metal salt solution, then the wire is heated in the bunsen burner flame.
• Observe and record the flaming colour.

Flame Colours for Common Ions

• A wooden splint or cotton swab method can also be used for the flame test.
• Several elements like gold, silver, platinum and palladium do not produce characteristic colour during the flame test.

Limitations of the Flame Test

1. If the ion concentration is very low, then the ions are not detected by the flame test.

2. The light intensity varies from one sample to another. Think of the same amount of sodium and lithium, for example. Yellow sodium emissions during the flame test are much more intense than the red lithium emissions.

3. The test results will be influenced by the presence of impurities, especially sodium. It is present in most of the compounds and gives the yellow colour flame. To prevent that, cobalt blue glass is used. The yellow colour is removed and the flame colour associated with the other substance is visible.

Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin!

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How to Make Colored Fire at Home

It’s easy to make colored fire at home in the fireplace or a campfire. All you need to do is sprinkle on a salt to color the flames. Here is a list of colorants, the colors they produce, and a look at where to find them.

List of Flame Colorant Chemicals

Many chemicals produce colors in a fire, but not all of them are readily available or safe to use. This is a list of common colorant chemicals and the fire colors they produced.

The colors are based on the flame test in chemistry, which uses a blue alcohol or gas flame. When these chemicals are added to a wood fire, a rainbow effect is more likely due to the chemical composition of the fuel.

How to Color Fire

Once you have the colorant chemicals, there are different ways to use them:

• Sprinkle dry colorants onto flames.
• Dissolve the colorants in alcohol and then soak logs in the liquid.
• Dissolve the colorants in water. Soak pinecones, rolled newspapers, sawdust, or cork in the liquid. Allow the fuel to dry and then add it to a fire for a pop of color.

There is no “recipe” for how much colorant to add to water or alcohol. The amount that dissolves depends on the temperature of the liquid and the solubility of the chemical. Basically, just add as much solid as will dissolve in the liquid. If you use less, the color of the fire may not be as intense. If you use too much, you’ll have undissolved solid, which you can recover and use later. Some compounds dissolve better in water, while some dissolve better in alcohol. Test a small amount and decide which method works best for your needs.

Do not mix all the colorants together. You won’t get a rainbow! Most likely, you’ll end up with a yellow fire. This is because sodium (in table salt and also naturally in wood) overwhelms other colors. For a multicolored fire, it’s best to add several pine cones, each treated with one colorant, or a mix of dried colored sawdust. Even with separate colorants, it’s best to avoid adding “yellow” because it’s so bright.

Where to Find Flame Colorants

Most of the flame colorants listed here are available at grocery stores or home supply stores. A few are easier to find online. Some of these chemicals are available either as solids or as liquids. Liquids are fine to use for soaking pinecones or logs, but obviously aren’t a great choice for applying directly to a fire (unless you want to put it out).

Other Ways to Make Colored Fire

Directly adding salts to a fire is the best way to color fire, but it isn’t the only method. Colored flames also result from burning color-print newspaper, magazines, and some plastics, like garden hoses. While these other methods produce colored fire, their combustion may also release toxic fumes. Color-printed paper is reasonably safe to burn, although it may release cinders that can ignite nearby objects. Burning plastic is never a good idea because the smoke contains toxic and potentially carcinogenic chemicals.

Black Flames

Making black flames is possible, too. However, this color works a bit differently because you absorb the colored light from the fire, leaving darkness.

Safety Information

Colored fire is safe in a fireplace or campfire, but it’s probably not wise to cook hotdogs or roast marshmallows over colored flames. For the most part, using salts produces the same smoke as a normal fire. The salts don’t actually burn in the flames, so they remain in the soot rather than in gases around the fire. For this reason, take care where you dispose of ashes. Using Epsom salts may actually help your garden. Plants also appreciate a boost of boron from borax or boric acid, but too much is harmful. Copper salts naturally occur in soil, but copper is toxic to invertebrates like snails and crabs and other organisms, like algae.

Like other home chemicals, flame colorants should be kept out of reach of children and pets. Read and adhere to any warnings on chemical containers.

If you use alcohol as a fuel, please remember that it is much more flammable than wood. Never add alcohol (or any liquid fuel) to a burning fire, or it will react much light lighter fluid!

• Barrow, R. F.; Caldin, E. F. (1949). “Some Spectroscopic Observations on Pyrotechnic Flames”.  Proceedings of the Physical Society . Section B. 62 (1): 32–39. doi: 10.1088/0370-1301/62/1/305
• Natural Resources Canada (2003). Pyrotechnics Special Effects Manual (2nd ed.). Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.
• Patnaik, Pradyot (2002). Handbook of Inorganic Chemicals . McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-049439-8

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Is this blue or green to you? Viral test created by a neuroscientist reveals your color perception

First there was “ the dress ,” then there was the sneakers , now there’s a debate over the color blue.

If you’ve ever argued with a friend over whether something is blue or green, you’re not alone.

A new test called “ Is my blue your blue? ” reveals how different — or similar — your color perceptions are compared to everyone else.

The experiment was created by neuroscientist and AI researcher Dr. Patrick Mineault — and it all started with a debate over a blanket.

“I’m a visual neuroscientist, and my wife, Dr. Marissé Masis-Solano, is an ophthalmologist,” Mineault told The Guardian . “We have this argument about a blanket in our house. I think it’s unambiguously green and she thinks it’s unambiguously blue.”

The researcher and programmer was working with new AI-assisted coding tools and designed a color-perception test.

The website ismy.blue will populate a full screen of one color, and it will ask the user if it is green or blue. Colors on the screen will gradually become more similar until the site concludes where on the spectrum you lie.

“Colors are often represented in HSL (hue, saturation, lightness) color space,” Mineault explained to the Daily Mail . “Hue 120 is green, and hue 240 is blue. The test focuses on blue-green hues between 150 and 210.”

However, if you see a color that you want to identify as somewhere in the middle, like turquoise, you still have to choose whether the color is blue or green to you.

“In early experiments, we found that people’s responses cluster around 175, which coincidentally is the same as the named HTML color turquoise,” Mineault said.

“This is interesting, because the nominal boundary between blue and green is at 180, the named HTML color cyan. That means most people’s boundaries are shifted toward saying that cyan is blue.”

A user’s ending threshold distribution is based on other people who also took the test so they can compare to the general population.

“I added this feature, which shows you the distribution, and that really clicked with people,” Mineault explained. “‘Do we see the same colors?’ is a question philosophers and scientists – everyone really – have asked themselves for thousands of years. People’s perceptions are ineffable, and it’s interesting to think that we have different views.”

The website launched in August and has already seen more than 1.5 million visits in about a month.

“I’m not super surprised that it struck a chord because people want to understand how others see the world,” Mineault said.

The neuroscientist explained that perception of color is generally “tricky to measure.”

“Vision scientists use specialized calibrated equipment to color perception. Graphic designers use physical color cards, such as those made by Pantone, so that they can communicate colors unambiguously,” he said.

Don’t worry if your results are very different from the rest of the population, there’s nothing wrong with your vision.

“Getting outlier results doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with your vision,” Mineault explained. “It might mean you have an idiosyncratic way of naming colors, or that your monitor and lighting is unusual.”

There are many outside factors that can affect your perception, such as the model of your phone or computer, how old the device is, display settings, night node, ambient light sources, time of day and which color is presented first.

As for the color of the blanket, the ruling is still out.

“We’ve taken the test a bunch of times,” Mineault shared. “As soon as there’s a little green in there, I call it green” — but his wife still sees blue.