Republic of the Philippines

Batangas State University

College of Arts and Sciences
Batangas City

Flame Test on Different Metal Ions

Pauline Joy A. Altura, Cris G. De Torres, Hannah Beatrice O. Salanguit, Erika C. Salazar, Jerwin M.
Tabbada, Eden P. Talain

ABSTRACT

• In this laboratory report, data regarding flame test of metal salts was based on the
video experimentation entitled, A Safer “Rainbow Flame” Demo for the
Classroom, by American Chemical Society on YouTube. The purpose of the
conducted experiment is to demonstrate how each given metallic salt solution can
emit a characteristic color of light during flame test and use their flame color to
identify metal ions in an ionic compound. A variety of metal ions such as calcium
chloride, copper chloride, lithium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium chloride
and strontium chloride were heated in the Bunsen burner and observed their emitted
visible flame color. Conclusion was derived to explain how valence electrons in
metallic salts initiate energy absorption and light emission and why different metal
ions emit different flame color.

INTRODUCTION

Heat can cause the electrons of metal ions to emit visible light. With that being said, when
placed under high temperature, an atom or an ion will get excited, then be promoted to a higher
orbital. But as they fall back to lower levels, they will release energy in the form of light (Clark,
2013). Having different amounts of energy released each jump varies from one metal to another,
as a result, they will emit different light energies that correspond to a certain wavelength or
frequency; a different flame color. The mentioned process is used to determine the identity of an
unknown metal or metalloid ion that is found in an ionic compound (Helmenstine, 2018). The
flame test helps determine the identity or possible identity of a compound if the compound is
placed in the flame of a gas burner, and it may give off a color that can be seen by the naked eye.
This experiment aims to observe the different flame colors emitted from selected ions; as
well as answer several problem questions. A selection of metal ions (sometimes called metal salts)
was used in the experiment, namely, calcium chloride, copper chloride, lithium chloride, potassium
chloride, sodium chloride, and strontium chloride. Aside from the mentioned compounds,
laboratory equipment such as wood splints, jars, a bunsen burner, a striker, water, and green food
coloring was used in the experiment. The procedure in conducting this experiment is fairly simple,
yet safety precautions must be observed, and personal protective equipment should be worn at all
times. The demonstration will show that different metal salts will produce different color flames
when exposed to heat.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Based on the YouTube video from “American Chemical Society” discussed by Ms. Kim
Duncan, she demonstrated a much safer alternative flame test using those same metal salts and
water instead of methanol and ethanol, because they are extremely flammable solvents and can
cause serious injuries if not handled properly. The materials used in the experiment are wood
splints, jars, a Bunsen burner, a striker, water, green food coloring, and the six metal salts: calcium
chloride, copper chloride, lithium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, and strontium
chloride. Six metal salts are shown in the video. You will notice that the copper chloride is colored
green and the rest are colorless. Ms. Duncan also mentioned that this experiment has also been
done with barium chloride, but it’s very toxic and should be avoided. She began the method for
this experiment by putting the ends of the wood splints in the six solutions and soaking them
overnight. After soaking the wood splints in the six solutions, she lit the Bunsen burner with a
striker. The first solution she tries is calcium chloride. She constantly moves the wood splint to
keep it from catching fire. And as she attempts to burn the calcium chloride, we can see that
calcium chloride has a deep orange flame. The copper chloride is the second one she tries, and we
can see that the wood splints have a deep green color, and not surprisingly, its flame is a beautiful
blue green. Next is lithium chloride, its flame has a really deep red color. After that is potassium
chloride, which is a little hard to see. However, when you stare at it, you will see that it has a
pinkish violet flame. Next is sodium chloride, which has a lovely yellowish orange flame. Lastly,
there is strontium chloride, which is red but more of an orange red flame. Remember to keep your
hand and wood splints on the side of the Bunsen burner rather on top of it when you’re burning it.
Make sure to properly dispose of all of your materials.

RESULTS

1. Compounds, Formula, and the Visible color emitted by the compounds upon flame test

Compound/Metal Ion Compound Formula Visible Color upon Flame Test

Calcium Chloride CaCl2 Deep Orange

Copper Chloride CuCl2 Blue Green

Lithium Chloride LiCl2 Deep Red

Potassium Chloride KCl2 Pinkish-Violet

Sodium Chloride NaCl2 Yellowish-Orange

Strontium Chloride SrCl2 Reddish-Orange

Barium Chloride BaCl2 Light Green

Table 1 shows the compounds and their corresponding formulas and the color they emitted upon
being subjected in the flame test. The metal ions Ca2+, Cu2+, Li+, K+, Na+, Sr2+, and Ba2+ bond
with chlorine to produce the above mentioned compounds. The possibility of the emission of
visible colors from metal ions can be explained by how the electrons move to higher energy levels
in excited state, and the changes in energy when returning to ground state causes the emission of
light, and therefore color present in the visible spectrum.

In the video experiment, the metallic salts subdued to the flame test have shown varying color
spectra, hence the practical use to distinguish different metal ions. CaCl2 produced a deep orange
flame, blue-green for CuCl2, deep red color for LiCl2, pinkish-violet for KCl2, yellowish-orange
for NaCl2, reddish-orange for SrCl2, and light-green for BaCl2. Barium chloride is an excessively
toxic substance, prompting its exclusion during flame tests. In this case, the data for the substance
was solicited from the same creator of the video experiment.

Answers to the Given Questions:

1. What metal ions would you predict to be contained in your unknowns? Why?
• Suppose the unknowns provided a strong red flame and a pinkish-violet with hints of
yellow light. The former can be predicted as a lithium metal ion, since the flame test has
shown that lithium is deep red in color. The latter, on the other hand, may be identified as
the potassium ion as the results showed pinkish-violet flame. The unnecessary yellow light
is a sodium contamination which can be filtered out with the use of cobalt glass.

2. Based on your results and observations, would this method be practical to determine the
identity of metals in a mixture? Why or why not?
• The resulting colors emitted by the metallic salts are different from each other. This is due
to the varying jump sizes and energy of various metallic ions. Naturally, these differences
will result in different places in the visible spectrum, distinguishing the metals from each
other. Thus, the flame test experiment is practical in a way of identifying a certain metal
present in a mixture.

3. Explain the reason potassium was visible when using the cobalt glass.
• Cobalt plates (glass) are used for flame tests, often with the involvement of potassium ions.
Traces of sodium remain in the subject, causing the presence of undesired strong yellow
 light. Using cobalt glass, the purple hue of potassium is more visible due to the cobalt
plate’s ability to filter out the unnecessary yellow light (Smith, 2021).

4. Explain the effect of the nitrate ion in solution on the color emission.
• The nitrate ion is the oxidizing agent in the compound. Without it you could not burn the
chemicals and you could not produce a visible spectrum. Hence, there would be no
emission of color.

5. Give at least two reasons why the flame test is sometimes invalid.
• While flame tests can give useful hints in identifying metal ions, there are also limitations
that are accompanied by various factors. These include the experiment’s inability of
identifying ions in low concentration, contamination of samples (usually sodium that gives
unnecessary yellow light), and the varying brightness of the flames from different samples
of the compound (Marie, 2021).

Report Sheet:
Data

Metal Ion Metal Ion Symbol Flame Color

Barium Ba2+ Green
Calcium Ca2+ Orange-red
Copper Cu2+ Bluish-green
Potassium K+ Purple
Strontium Sr2+ Red
Lithium Li+ Red
Sodium Na+ Yellow
Sodium & Potassium Na+ & K+ Yellowish-purple

Unknown 1st Guess 2nd Guess 3rd Guess

#1 Lithium ion Potassium ion Sodium ion
Source: North Carolina School. (2011, December 9). Flame Test of Metal Ions, with Labels.
https://youtu.be/1EXr_L7Ojqg

DISCUSSION

The results suggest that some mineral components can be identified using the colors created
by chemicals when placed into a flame. Electrons can be promoted from their regular unexcited
condition into higher orbitals if an atom or ion is heated. Energy, then is released as light as they
drop to lower levels. Each of these jumps includes the release of a certain amount of energy as
light energy, and each corresponds to a different wavelength. A spectrum of lines will be formed
as a result of all of these leaps, some of which will be visible in the spectrum. The color you see
will be a mix of all of these various colors (Libretexts, 2020).

The exact sizes of the energy leaps that are feasible differ from one metal ion to the next.
This implies that each ion would have a unique spectral line pattern, and so a different flame color.
Overall, when the solutions were heated, the electrons become excited and leapt to higher energy
levels, giving them different colors. The energy was released in the form of light energy, which
emitted various distinct colors.

CONCLUSION

In the final analysis, the experiment concluded with the use of a flame test to visually
identify unknown metal ion based on the characteristic color it produces. Metal salts come in a
variety of compounds, as presented in the video. Some of the ionic compounds subjected to flame
test includes calcium chloride, copper chloride, lithium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium
chloride, and strontium chloride. Results were based on the video. Upon heating each metal salts
in an open flame using Bunsen burner, different flame colors were emitted. Calcium chloride emits
deep orange flame. Copper chloride produces blue green flame. Lithium chloride releases deep red
flame. Potassium chloride yields pinkish flame, which was slightly visible at first. Sodium chloride
produces yellowish orange flame. Lastly, strontium chloride produces reddish orange flame. On
this basis, flame test reveals that valence electrons in metallic ions get excited by the heat of the
flame, absorbing energy to bounce in higher orbital. Eventually, they will return to their original
ground state releasing visible color. Emission of flame color accompanied with release of energy
was observed due to the transition of electrons from excited state to ground state in the metal ion.

REFERENCES

American Chemical Society. (2015, November 12). A Safer “Rainbow Flame” Demonstration for
the Classroom. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/kkBFG1mTSBk

Clark, J. (2013, October 3). Flame Tests. Chemistry LibreTexts. Retrieved from
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_an
d_Websites_(Inorganic_Chemistry)/Descriptive_Chemistry/Elements_Organized_by_Bl
ock/1_sBlock_Elements/Group__1%3A_The_Alkali_Metals/2Reactions_of_the_Group_
1_Elements/Flame_Tests

Helmenstine, A. M. (2018). Here’s How To Do a Flame Test. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/perform-and-interpret-flame-tests-603740

Libretexts. (2020, August 15). Flame Tests. Chemistry LibreTexts. Retrieved from
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_an
d_Websites_(Inorganic_Chemistry)/Descriptive_Chemistry/Elements_Organized_by_Blo
ck/1_sBlock_Elements/Group__1%3A_The_Alkali_Metals/2Reactions_of_the_Group_1
_Elements/Flame_Tests

Marie, H. (2021). Here's How To Do a Flame Test. Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/perform-and-interpret-flame-tests-603740

North Carolina School. (2011, December 9). Flame Test of Metal Ions, with Labels. Retrieved
from https://youtu.be/1EXr_L7Ojqg
Smith, A. (2021). What is the purpose of the cobalt blue glass Why is only the purple color of the
potassium seen through the cobalt glass?. Retrieved from
https://rehabilitationrobotics.net/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-cobalt-blue-glass-why-is-
only-the-purple-color-of-the-potassium-seen-through-the-cobalt-glass/