Flame Tests Chemistry Tutorial

Key Concepts

• A flame test is performed by introducing a sample into the blue flame of a bunsen burner and noting any change in the colour of the flame.
• Flame tests can be used to detect the presence of some metallic elements in salts.
• The heat of the bunsen burner's flame causes electrons in the element to move from their lower energy ground state to a higher energy excited state.

  When these excited electrons fall back to their lower energy levels, they emit energy in the form of light of a characteristic wavelength which is the colour of the flame we observe.
  (see emission (atomic) spectroscopy)

• Flame tests are an example of a qualitative test, that is, they can detect the presence of certain elements.

  Flame tests are not quantitative tests, they can not tell us how much of the element is present in the sample.
  (see AAS for details of a quantitative test)

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Performing a Flame Test

1. Clean a platinum or nickel-chromium wire loop by dipping it into concentrated   acid (hydrochloric acid or nitric acid are often used).
2. Rinse the acid washed wire loop with deionized water.
3. Test the cleanliness of the wire loop by placing it into the flame of a bunsen burner.
4. If the bunsen burner's flame changes colour, then the wire loop is not clean and you will need to repeat steps 1 to 3.
   If the bunsen burner's flame does not change colour, then the wire is clean and you can proceed to step 5.
5. Dip the clean wire loop into the sample (powder or solution).
6. Place the wire loop containing the sample into the blue part of the bunsen burner's flame.
7. Observe the change in the colour of the bunsen burner's flame.
8. To perform another test, repeat steps 1 to 7.

Using Flame Tests

The flame colours produced by a number of elements are given in the table below: