Flinn Lab 1: Atomic Structure & Periodic Trends

BE SURE TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR RESPONSES!

Observe Part 1

1. How many different flame colors were you able to see or detect? How many different
elements must have been exposed to the flame to produce this number of colors?

3 colors and 3 elements.

2. What has to be supplied to the electrons on atoms to get to move from the ground state to
the excited state according to the video?

energy

3. Electrons are not able to stay in the excited state and will eventually return back to
ground state. What do they emit when they fall back down to ground state? 

They wasted their energy

4. According to the video, what type of energy is associated with long wavelengths? 

Radio waves

5. Why did each element emit different colors to our eye? RELATE THIS ANSWER TO
ATOMIC STRUCTURE!

When you move down the reactions change so the colors change.

Observe Part 2

1. In the video, the speaker mentioned that ionization energy decreases going down a group.
Use the model below to explain why potassium would have such a low ionization energy.

Its low in group 1 so it has low ion energy.

                       

2. Putting it together:  Why was potassium more reactive in the water compared to the other two
group one elements? Be sure to talk about ionization energy and atomic structure in your
explanation. 

It has lower ion energy.

Identify Experimental Design Flaw – Insert this which came from Connection to your
World

You have observed how energetic the reaction between potassium and water is. Now think about
another metal: aluminum. Aluminum atoms have different electronic structures than potassium
atoms and therefore react differently with water. If aluminum reacted as vigorously with water as
potassium, aluminum foil would not last long in water. If you were asked to design a bicycle and
had your choice of a series of metals, describe some of the features or characteristics the metal
should have to be used as the material for a bike frame.

Strong Conductor not reactive

CONNECT to your world

You have observed in the first part of this lab that when a flame is applied to certain chemicals
they emit a unique color visible to our eye.  But, what is light?  How can we use light to better
understand the structure of atoms and identify the elemental components of our universe?

START by watching the video Light: A Crash Course Video and take great notice of the point in
the video where the speaker relates the energy levels of the atom to stairs. You will need this to
answer the questions that follow later in the activity!!
To explore matter and light further, we will be using a spectral lamp (a lamp providing a high
voltage) and different gas discharge tubes. To use this animation, follow these steps:

 Select the link and load the animation -->  ExpAtomic and Electron Structure with Light
 When the animation opens it will open to a page that has some instructions.  Click Done
to start the animation
 Click on an element card and that element's tube will be placed into the lamp
 Click on the REALLY TINY red button on the lower left side of the lamp. This will turn
the lamp on and your element will start to GLOW! YAY! (HINT: you can actually rotate
the screen to get cleaner access to the tiny red on button!)
 Last but NOT least, click on the black triangular shape box called a spectroscope. This
will simulate you looking through the scope and you will be shown what the lamp looks
like when the emitted color is separated into the different wavelengths of light. To change
the lamp you must first click on the black space of the spectrum to exit the spectrum.
Then you HAVE to go back to the tiny red button and turn it off. Then you click on the
word remove. This will remove the lamp and you can put in a new lamp.
 Do this for each lamp and record your observation in the table below. 
 Finally, place the unknown gas discharge tube into the lamp and record your observations
for the unknown.  Then answer the questions that follow.

Data Table for Spectral Emissions: 

Lamp Colors Data Table

Color emitted to the Colors emitted using spectroscope from
Element
naked eye left to right               
Hydrogen pink Blue green red
Helium Yellow Blue green yellow red
Nitrogen Pink Blue green yellow orange red
Oxygen  Yellow Blue green yellow orange red
Mercury Blue Blue green yellow orange red
Unknown Pink Blue green yellow orange red

Questions:

1. In the video, the speaker used the analogy of stairs to represent the energy levels of the
electrons on atoms. How do the energy levels on the atom DIFFER from a traditional set
of stairs?
 They increase

2. Using the stair analogy, explain why the atoms emitted one color to the eye but then
emitted a spectrum of colors when seen though the spectroscope.

Spectroscopes are closer looking into light

3. Using the stair analogy, explain why different atoms have a DIFFERENT spectrum when
seen though the spectroscope.

Different amounts of energy

4. Using the attached images below of the spectral tube results make a claim:  What is the
identity of unknown?

Pb

5. Evidence:  What evidence can you point at to justify your claim?

6. Why are we able to identify an element using spectral emission lines? 

It had more then Hg so it means it would come first.

Hydrogen (H)
Helium (He)

Nitrogen (N)
Oxygen (O)

Mercury (Hg)
Unknown