Atomic Emission and Flame Test
Student Name Hallie Laterza
Date 12/1/24
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Data
Activity 1
Data Table 1
Light Source 1: Light Source 2: Light Source 3:
Name Fluorescent Bulb Candle Light Phone Flashlight
(simple flame)
Line or continuous continuous continuous
Continuous?
First Spectrum Red Red Red
Line Color
First Spectrum 6.9 7 7
Line Number
Second Spectrum Orange Orange Orange
Line Color
Second Spectrum 6 6 6
Line Number
Third Spectrum Yellow Yellow Yellow
Line Color
Third Spectrum 5.8 5.9 5.8
Line Number
Activity 2
Data Table 2
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Line Color Line Scale Wavelength (based on Table
Number 2 in the lab background)
First Spectrum Red 6.9 662.6
Line
Second Orange 6 625.7
Spectrum Line
Third Spectrum Yellow 5.8 580
Line
Fourth Spectrum Green 5.6 546.5
Line (if visible)
Fifth Spectrum Blue 4.7 436.6
Line (if visible)
Sixth Spectrum Violet 4.3 405.4
Line (if visible)
Graph
Insert your graph here:
1. What is the equation for the linear trend-line for your equation?
Y=98.027x
2. What is the corrected equation for the trend-line?
Y=98.027x (wasn’t sure with this, I would assume it would already be okay
since the trend would suggest that the line passes through 0?)
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© 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company
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Activity 3
Data Table 3
Potassium Lithium Copper Sodium
Metal Salt Unknown Salt
Chloride Chloride Chloride Chloride
Color of Flame Yellow Red Green Yellow & Orange
Orange
First Spectrum Line Blue Blue Blue Yellow Orange
Color
First Spectrum Line 4.4 4.2 4.4 5.7 6
Number
First Spectrum Line 451 435 451 583 609
Wavelength
Second Spectrum Green Orange Green Orange Red
Line Color
Second Spectrum 5.2 6 5 6.2 6.5
Line Number
Second Spectrum 533 624 527 640 665
Line Wavelength
1. What wavelengths are associated with the light color observed in each
metal’s flame test?
2. What are the most probable atoms in your unknown solid based on the
observed light emissions?
The unknown solid probably has sodium or something similar in it since the
light emissions look a lot like those from Sodium Chloride. The orange and red
emission lines suggest sodium or something close to it because its emission
spectrum closely matches Sodium Chloride’s spectrum.
3. Sodium light is easy to filter because it only emits light at a specific
wavelength. Would any of the other metals you tested also be easy to filter?
Why or why not?
Copper could also be easy to filter because it has clear blue and green lines.
It would be harder though because there are more lines.
4. If a fireworks engineer was planning a Christmas show and wanted to create
a red explosion followed by a green one. Based on the flames observed,
which metal salts should they use?
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For a red explosion, Lithium Chloride and Copper Chloride a green explosion.
Photos
Add the photos you took during the lab here.
Activity 1: 3 photos of the three lights you used.
Activity 3: 1 photo of your set up and materials before step 4.
© 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company
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© 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company
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© 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company
