Flame Test Lab Report

Background

In the Flame test lab we took a simple wire, looped it, and rinsed it in HCL (Hydrochloric Acid ). Then we dipped the wire in the different samples provided. The samples provided were Sodium,Potassium,Calcium, Barium, Strontium, Lithium , and Copper II. Finally we put the wire loop into the flame of the bunsen burner. The flame erupted into many different colors for each specific sample. We then used the colors we recorded to find the two unknown samples given to us. But the question is why does a flame produce a different color for each sample? And why does that sample produce that specific color.

A scientist by the name of Isaac Newton discovered that if you look through a glass prism into a beam of light you can see a spectrum that is made up of seven different colors. The colors
This can be related to the colors of the rainbow. Red has the lowest energy, and violet has the highest energy. According to Barberton Schools, “The normal electron configuration of atoms or ions of an element is known as the“ground state.” In this most stable energy state, all electrons are in the lowest energy levels available. When atoms or ions in the “ground state” are heated to high temperatures, some electrons may absorb enough energy to allow them to “jump” to higher energy levels”(Barberton High School,para 4). All electrons reside in energy levels. Electrons want to be stable, or in the ground state. But when electrons absorb enough energy, for example an electron absorbing energy from a heat source they get excited. When they get into the “excited” state the electrons tend to jump into higher energy levels. But, when they jump into these energy levels