ElectronEnergyTestThroughFlameEmissions

Authors:
Ackles,RyanMatticola,ZachOHara,JazzyRuppel,Matt
Affiliation:
10thGradeChemistryClass,HighTechHighNorthCounty,SanMarcos,CA.

ExperimentalProcedure

Forthisexperiment,avarietyofsubstanceswereheatedwithamatchinordertoconcludewhat
colorflametheywouldemit.ThesesubstancessuchasMethanolreleaseenergyintheformofcolor
becausewhenasubstancerisesintemperature,itgoesintoanexcitedstate(aquantumjump).Thecolors
thattheseflamescreatemaydifferfromonesubstancetothenext.First,amatchwasusedtoset
Methanolablazesinceitwasthecontrolsubstanceoftheexperiment.Followingthisinitialstep,two
dropletsofMethanolwereaddedtosevenadditionalsubstancesincludingLithiumChloride,Calcium
Chloride,CalciumCarbonate,PotassiumChloride,Borax,Copper(11)Sulfate,andlastlyanunknown
substance.Similartothefirsttrial,Methanolinfusedsubstanceswerealsolitonfire.Aftereachofthese
trialswerereadytobeobserved,notesweretakenonthecoloroftheflamethatthemixtureproducedand
anyotherfindings.Again,thisprocesswasrepeatedforeachcombination.(ex:MethanolandLithium
Chloride,MethanolandCalciumChloride,etc.)

ScientificResults
Theresults(seenbelow)thatwerereceivedwereinterestingtosaytheleast.Methanolbeingthe
controlsubstance,createdablueflamebyitself.LithiumChlorideformedablueflamewithflaresofred.
CalciumChlorideandCalciumCarbonatecausedabluishorangecolortoappear.PotassiumChloride
createdablue,slightlymorepurplecolorwithhintsoforangeastheflamedied.Borax,beingthemost
distinguishableofthemall,createdaveryvibrantgreencolor.Copper(11)Sulfatecreatedamoreblue
flamewithgreenflaresandalittlebitoforange.Lastly,theunknownsubstancecreatedacombined
green,orange,andblueflame.

CompoundName

Formula

FlameColor

Methanol

CH
OH

LithiumChloride

LiCl

Blueextendingfromlightblue
toroyalbluewitharedand
occasionallyorangetip

CalciumChloride

CaCl

Bluewithabrightorangetip
risingfromthetopoftheflame
toitsbase

CalciumCarbonate

CaCo

Royalbluewithaslight,more
dimorange,almostidenticalto
CalciumChloride

Standardbluewithahintof
violettowardstheendofthe
flamesexistence


PotassiumChloride

KCl

Slightlymorepurplethanthe
resultoftheMethanol,afew
flickersoforange

Borax

Na
B
O
10H
O

Copper(11)Sulfate

CuSO

Blueisovercomebygreenat
somepointsduringitsshort
lifespan,alittlebitoforange

Unknown*

Na
B
O
10H
OSO

Afairlyequalcombinationof
lightblue,NorthernLights
green,andbrightorange

Bright,NorthernLightsgreen
withfadedblueasitfades,half
green,halforange

(PredictthatthisunknownmixtureisBoraxSulfate).

Duetoeachsubstancepossessingvaryingamountsofelectronsandprotons,theywillallcreate
differentcolorcombinations.Basedontheresults,trialsinvolvingtheCalciumandChloridecauseda
mostlyblueflamereactionandbecauseofthis,itcanbesaidthattheysharesimilarcharacteristics.The
lastunknownsubstancecontainedanalmostequalamountofgreen,blue,andorangesotherefore,
CalciumandChlorideprobablyarenotwithintheanatomyoftheunknownsubstance.Meanwhile,
BoraxandCopper(11)Sulfatecausedacompletelydifferentsetofreactionsandmayevenhavean
influenceonsomeoftheelementsthatcanbefoundinthisunknownsubstance.

Conclusion
ItwasdiscoveredthatalmostalloftheelementsusedinthisexperimentcomefromtheAlkali
andAlkaliEarthMetalssectionofthePeriodicTableofElements.AlloftheseAlkaliandAlkaliEarth
Metalsproducedsomevariationofabluish,violetflame.Throughpriorresearchonthetopicsofflame
emissionsandheat/energylevels,violetflamescreatethehighestamountofenergy.Theenergylevelsof
all
oftheflamesaresohigh,theyareforcedreleasesomeofthisenergyintheformoflightandheat,just
likeahumancanburnoffcalories.Eventhoughthesubstancesinthefinaltrialareunknownatthis
point,itisalmostcertainbasedontheentireexperimentthattheyareeitherAlkaliMetalsorAlkaliEarth
Metals.Infact,otherthanthisunknownsubstance,Boraxwastheonlyonetohaveahighamountof
green,blue,andorangeinitsflame.Copper(11)SulfateisalsosimilartoBoraxandthisunknown
substanceinthatitalsocombinesallthreecolors.Forthesereasons,webelievethattheunknown
substanceproducingthefinalflamereactionisBoraxSulfate.Alongthesesamelines,whatwould
happeniftheelementsCalcium,Chloride,Carbonate,andLithiumcombined?Wouldsimilarblueviolet
reactionssuchastheonesabovebeproduced,orwouldtheyformacompletelydifferentcolor?