Difference between revisions of "Flame test"

From Sciencemadness Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Relevant Sciencemadness threads)
 
(5 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
A flame test is an analytical procedure that can determine the presence of certain elements.
+
{{Stub}}
 +
A '''flame test''' is an analytical procedure that can determine the presence of certain elements.
  
 
==Procedure==
 
==Procedure==
 
A flame test is carried out by placing a sample on a clean wire (commonly made out of platinum or nichrome), and placing it in a hot non-luminous flame (one that does not exhibit black-body radiation).  
 
A flame test is carried out by placing a sample on a clean wire (commonly made out of platinum or nichrome), and placing it in a hot non-luminous flame (one that does not exhibit black-body radiation).  
 
  
 
==Flame colors==
 
==Flame colors==
===Violet===
 
Potassium (masked easily)
 
 
===Azure===
 
===Azure===
Copper halides
+
*Copper halides (copper(II) chloride)
===Light blue===
+
*[[Bismuth]]
Arsenic, selenium, cesium, lead
+
===Emerald===
+
Copper non-halides
+
  
Ytterbium metal powder
 
===Pure green===
 
Boron, tellurium, thallium
 
===Yellowish-green===
 
Barium
 
 
===Bluish-green===
 
===Bluish-green===
Phosphates with sulfuric acid
+
*Phosphates with [[sulfuric acid]]
===Whitish-green===
+
*[[Phosphorus]]
Zinc metal
+
*[[Zinc]] metal
 +
 
 +
===Brick red===
 +
*[[Cadmium]]
 +
 
 +
===Carmine===
 +
*[[Lithium]] (violet through blue glass, invisible through green glass, masked by barium)
 +
 
 +
===Crimson red===
 +
*Radium
 +
 
 +
===Emerald===
 +
*Copper non-halides
 +
*[[Ytterbium]] metal powder
 +
 
 
===Feeble green===
 
===Feeble green===
Antimony, ammonium
+
*Ammonium
===Yellow===
+
*[[Antimony]]
Sodium (masks everything, invisible through blue glass)
+
 
 +
===Gray===
 +
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMNsnZ5jSmc Nitromethane]
 +
 
 +
===Light blue===
 +
*[[Arsenic]]
 +
*[[Caesium]]
 +
*[[Lead]]
 +
*[[Selenium]]
 +
 
 
===Orange===
 
===Orange===
Calcium (greenish through blue glass, green through green glass, masked by barium)
+
*[[Calcium]] (greenish through blue glass, green through green glass, masked by barium)
===Scarlet===
+
*[[Scandium]]
Strontium (violet through blue glass, yellowish through green glass, masked by barium)
+
 
===Carmine===
+
===Pale blue===
Lithium (violet through blue glass, invisible through green glass, masked by barium)
+
*[[Germanium]]
 +
 
 +
===Pale green===
 +
*Antimony
 +
 
 
===Pink===
 
===Pink===
Samarium metal
+
*[[Samarium]] metal
 +
 
 +
===Pure green===
 +
*[[Boron]]
 +
*[[Tellurium]]
 +
*[[Thallium]]
 +
 
 +
===Purple===
 +
*[[Potassium chloride]]
 +
 
 +
===Red===
 +
*[[Mercury]]
 +
 
 +
===Red-violet===
 +
*[[Rubidium]]
 +
 
 +
===Scarlet===
 +
*Strontium (violet through blue glass, yellowish through green glass, masked by barium)
 +
 
 +
===Silvery-white===
 +
*[[Aluminium]]
 +
*[[Chromium]]
 +
*[[Cobalt]]
 +
*[[Nickel]]
 +
 
 +
===Violet===
 +
*Potassium (masked easily)
 +
 
 +
===White===
 +
*[[Beryllium]]
 +
*[[Magnesium]]
 +
 
 +
===Yellow===
 +
*[[Sodium]] (masks everything, invisible through blue glass)
 +
 
 +
===Yellowish-green===
 +
*[[Barium]]
 +
*[[Manganese]]
 +
*[[Molybdenum]]
 +
*[[Vanadium]]
 +
 
 +
== Spectroscopy ==
 +
 
 +
A mad scientist with a more technical bent can improve this technique by building a simple spectroscope, which decomposes the light from the flame into a spectrum. The advantages of spectroscopy is that it does not require any colored glass, all spectral lines are visible separately without them.
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references/>
 +
===Relevant Sciencemadness threads===
 +
*[http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=19912 Lithium Flame tests]
 +
*[http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=14020 Interesting Spectation]
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Analytical techniques]]

Latest revision as of 21:29, 2 December 2018

A flame test is an analytical procedure that can determine the presence of certain elements.

Procedure

A flame test is carried out by placing a sample on a clean wire (commonly made out of platinum or nichrome), and placing it in a hot non-luminous flame (one that does not exhibit black-body radiation).

Flame colors

Azure

  • Copper halides (copper(II) chloride)
  • Bismuth

Bluish-green

Brick red

Carmine

  • Lithium (violet through blue glass, invisible through green glass, masked by barium)

Crimson red

  • Radium

Emerald

Feeble green

Gray

Light blue

Orange

  • Calcium (greenish through blue glass, green through green glass, masked by barium)
  • Scandium

Pale blue

Pale green

  • Antimony

Pink

Pure green

Purple

Red

Red-violet

Scarlet

  • Strontium (violet through blue glass, yellowish through green glass, masked by barium)

Silvery-white

Violet

  • Potassium (masked easily)

White

Yellow

  • Sodium (masks everything, invisible through blue glass)

Yellowish-green

Spectroscopy

A mad scientist with a more technical bent can improve this technique by building a simple spectroscope, which decomposes the light from the flame into a spectrum. The advantages of spectroscopy is that it does not require any colored glass, all spectral lines are visible separately without them.

References

Relevant Sciencemadness threads