Flame Tests
2 guided lessons · 18 checks · 2. Inorganic Chemistry → Chemical Tests
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How to carry out a flame test
A flame test identifies which metal cation is present by the colour the sample paints onto a Bunsen flame. The wire loop is cleaned in dilute acid and burned clean in the blue flame first, because any leftover ions would add their own colours and mask the one you need to see. Only then is the loop dipped into the sample and held at the flame's edge.
What you know already
From Tests for Gases you already know that gases betray themselves with splints and litmus paper. This note moves from gases to solids, where the metal ion paints the Bunsen flame itself in a colour that names it.
Key points of understanding
- The flame test identifies positive metal ions by flame colour.
- The loop is made of unreactive wire, commonly nichrome or platinum.
- The wire is dipped in dilute acid and held in the blue flame until no colour shows.
- The sample is picked up on the loop and placed at the edge of the blue flame.
- Cleaning in acid first prevents contamination from ions already on the wire.
Diagram showing the technique for carrying out a flame test
Diagram showing the colours formed in the flame test for metal ions
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1.How to carry out a flame test
A flame test identifies which metal cation is present by the colour the sample paints onto a Bunsen flame. The wire loop is cleaned in dilute acid and burned clean in the blue flame first, because any leftover ions would add their own colours and mask the one you need to see. Only then is the loop dipped into the sample and held at the flame's edge.
Diagram showing the technique for carrying out a flame test
Diagram showing the colours formed in the flame test for metal ions
Key points
- The flame test identifies positive metal ions by flame colour.
Guided content from the SME authoring corpus — note rn_vVdP57QhDYSVfZgy, pinned at a8889009338b · promoted SyllabAI/syllabai-resources e967e75f1339