Flame Test with Metal Chloride Solutions

Aaron Ventresca
Period 9
Lab Partner: Meghan Cannon
7 November 2018
I) Purpose
The objective of the flame test lab was to identify an unknown metal chloride solution (B) by
comparing its flame color to the flame color of six other known metal chloride solutions. The
objective of this lab was also to identify an element in a discharge tube based on its line spectra.
Chemists attempted to identify these unknowns to further their understanding of how certain
elements emit different colored light spectra based on the number of electrons they possess.
Through this lab, chemists were also able to practice using spectroscopes to determine line
spectra in addition to lighting Bunsen burners and recording observations.
II) Materials
Equipment: Chemicals:
Seven Bunsen burners Lithium chloride
Wooden splints Strontium chloride
Spectrum tube and power supply Calcium chloride
Spectroscope Copper (II) chloride
Seven flasks Sodium chloride
Potassium chloride
Unknown metal chloride (B)

III) Procedure
To begin, chemists placed one flask on each of six different lab benches. In each flask, a
metal chloride solution was placed. The six metal chloride solutions placed in each of six
different flasks included: lithium chloride, strontium chloride, calcium chloride, copper (II)
chloride, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride. On a seventh lab bench, unknown metal
chloride B was placed in a flask. In each of the seven flasks, approximately six wooden splints
were placed. The splints were soaked in each of the metal chloride solutions to better emit the
color of the respective solution upon being lit aflame by a Bunsen burner. On each of the seven
different lab benches, a Bunsen burner was lit to acquire a non-luminous flame with two light
blue cones. The flames were roughly two inches tall. It was important for chemists to ensure that
each Bunsen burner had a blue flame. Yellow, orange, or red flames were avoided, as the flame
color caused by different metal chloride solutions is often yellow, orange, or red.
For each of the seven different metal chloride solutions, chemists placed three soaked splints
in the upper region of a Bunsen burner flame. Chemists made sure to hold the three splints in the
Bunsen burner flame for no more than three seconds at a time to prevent the splints from
burning. Chemists recorded the color of each different metal chloride solution flame in Table 1.
After all seven chloride solutions were tested and their flame colors were recorded, chemists
used a spectroscope to observe the line spectra of an unknown element in a spectrum tube. The
line spectra were recorded in Table 1.
IV) Data
Table 1: Flame Colors
Metal found in the salt Flame Color and Intensity Line spectra
Copper Copper chloride yielded a pale green flame. N/A
The flame had a low intensity.

Calcium Calcium chloride yielded a dark orange N/A

flame. The flame had medium-high
intensity.
Strontium Strontium chloride yielded a bright red- N/A
orange flame. The flame had medium
intensity.
Lithium Lithium chloride yielded a dark magenta N/A
flame. The flame had high intensity.

Potassium Potassium chloride yielded a pale rose N/A

flame. The flame had low intensity.

Sodium Sodium chloride yielded a pale N/A

orange/tangerine colored flame. The flame
had medium-high intensity.
Unknown (B) Unknown B yielded a pale orange colored N/A
flame. The flame had medium-high
intensity.
Unknown discharge N/A
tube

V) Conclusions
After much analysis, unknown B is sodium
chloride. Sodium chloride produced a pale
orange flame with a medium intensity. This
flame color and intensity perfectly matched that
of unknown B, making unknown B sodium
chloride. The unknown discharge tube was filled
with neon. Looking into the discharge tube,
chemists did their best to identify the line spectra
present. Key features of the line spectra included
the fact that there was virtually no blue or violet
coloring. There was a strong presence of reds
and greens. To match their observations with the identity of neon, chemists used the
accompanying image above containing the line spectra for all known elements. The strong
presence of reds and greens with limited amounts of blue and violet can be seen in both neon and
radon. Radon, having a few blue lines, did not exactly match the line spectra observed in the
spectrum tube. Thus, chemists were able to identify the element in the spectrum tube as neon.
VI) Discussion of Theory
Different elements produce different colored flames when burned due to their electron
configurations. Visible light, a set of frequencies known as the Balmer series, is produced when
electrons move from heightened, excited energy levels to lower energy levels. This process,
known as relaxation, emits excess energy in the form of photons (LibreTexts, 2018). Depending
on the amount of energy released, the wavelength and frequency vary. All light travels at the
same speed of 3.00x108m/s. Frequency (nu) and wavelength (lambda) are inversely proportional
(Northwestern University, 2018). As wavelength increases, frequency decreases. As frequency
increases, wavelength decreases.
Depending on the number of electrons present in an element, certain line spectra are emitted.
Hydrogen, having only one electron, emits few colors in its line spectra (LibreTexts, 2018).
Elements with many
electrons, like
Uranium and
Thallium, reveal
many colors in their
respective line
spectra. As the
number of electrons
increase, there are
possible options for
electrons to move
between energy levels
and release different
frequencies of light.
Applying this
concept, it is possible
to identify individual
elements within a
mixture. The line spectra of a mixture of elements will contain the line spectra of all of its
components. For example, the line spectra of salt (NaCl) contains both the individual spectra for
sodium and chlorine. Thus, using line spectra, it is possible to identify elements within a mixture.
VII) Experimental Sources of Error
To make this experiment more successful, a few sources of error must be identified. When
performing the flame tests, it was possible to dip the splints in multiple metal chloride solutions
and cross-contaminate the various solutions. This could have yielded flame colors that were
inaccurate. Further, when using the spectroscope to identify the element in the discharge tube,
hanging white lights may have affected the line spectra perceived. White light has a complete
spectrum of color as its line spectra. Thus, the perceived line spectra of the mystery element may
have been affected by the ambient white light nearby. Additionally, lack of uniformity between
the different Bunsen burner flames may have affected the intensity of each colored flame. Some
Bunsen burners may have had a warmer and larger flame, yielding colored flames of a greater
intensity. This could have yielded skewed results. In total, a variety of potential experimental
sources of error must be identified to improve future repetitions of this experiment.
VIII) References
Atomic Spectra. (n.d.).
Bohr Model. (n.d.). ChemBlog.
Gagno, J. (2013). Visible Spectra of the Elements.
LibreTexts. (2018). Line Spectra and the Bohr Model. Retrieved from Chemistry.
Northwestern University. (2018). How are Frequency and Wavelength Related? Retrieved from
Communication Systems.