Flame Tests
Virtual Lab Bench
Click a metal salt to hold it in the Bunsen burner flame.
Observations
About Flame Tests
Flame tests are a qualitative analytical technique used to identify certain metal ions based on the characteristic colour they produce when heated in a flame. When a metal salt is placed in a Bunsen burner flame, the heat energy excites electrons in the metal ions to higher energy levels. As these electrons return to their ground state, they emit photons of specific wavelengths, producing visible light of a characteristic colour.
Different metal ions produce different colours because their electrons have different energy level spacings. For example, sodium ions produce a bright yellow flame at 589 nm, while copper ions produce a green flame. This principle is the basis of atomic emission spectroscopy and is widely used in both qualitative analysis and in applications like fireworks.
This experiment is part of VCE Chemistry Unit 1, which explores how the diversity of materials can be explained through atomic structure and bonding.