Chemistry

Chapter 4
Flame Test Lab

Purpose: The idea of this lab is to identify a set of flame-test color standards for selected
metal ions: potassium, lithium, sodium strontium, calcium, copper, barium. Relate the
colors of a flame test to the behavior of excited electrons in a metal ion. Identify three
unknown metal ions by using the flame test.

Materials: cotton swabs (5 or 6), mixed solutions containing the following ions: Ca, Ba,
Sr, Li, Cu, K, and Na. Solutions are in dropper bottles. Bunsen burner, and tongs.

Procedures: Obtain a cotton swab, and a dropper bottle containing one of the ions to be
tested. Over the sink, put several drops of the test solution on the cotton swab. The swab
should be saturated with solution. Light your Bunsen burner. Use tongs to hold the
saturated end of the cotton swab in the hottest part of the burner flame. Observe the color
produced and record your observation in the data table below. Repeat this procedure
until you have tested all of the known metal ions. Repeat the procedures for the three
unknowns. Record your data in the table below. Dispose of all used swabs in the
garbage can.

Observations:

Table of Tested Ions Using the Flame Test.

Ion Color
Ba+2

Ca+2

Cu+2

K+1

Li+1

Na+1

Sr+2 Ion present in Unknown

Unknown 1

Unknown 2

Unknown 3

1
Conclusions:

1)How sensitive is the flame test. Could this be used on samples that have a low
concentration of ions present? Explain your answer. (2 points)

2)What difficulties arise when trying to identify ions by the flame test? (1 point )

3)A student performed flame tests on several unknowns and observed that they all were
shades of red. What should the student do to correctly identify these substances?
Explain your answer. (2 points)

4)During a flood the labels from three bottles of chemicals were lost. The three
unlabeled bottles of white solids were known to contain the following: strontium nitrate,
ammonium carbonate, and potassium sulfate. Explain how you could easily test the
substances and relabel the three bottles. (3 points)

5)Some stores sell “fireplace crystals”. When sprinkled on a log, these crystals make the
flames blue, red, green, and violet. Explain how these crystals can change the flame’s
color. What ingredients do you expect them to containn? (5 points)