MorganKing Chemistry Ms.

Lyman October14,2013

FlameTest
POSTLABQUESTIONS/ANALYSIS Ithinkthatitisimportanttotesttheflamecolorofmethanolwithoutanycompoundsdissolved init,becauseitsnecessarytogaugewhatcoloritis,thatwayyoudontmixitupbasedonother compoundcolors.Ialsobelievethatithelpsbecauseyoucanobservehowmethanolbehaveswhen thereisntanythingalreadyburnedinthedishtomakeitbehavedifferently.ThecolorsthatIobserved inorderofenergy,highesttolowestwere,red,green/orange,lightgreen,green,lightblue,lightblue, lightblue,blue/orange,blue/orange,blue/white,blue/white,white,faintpurple.ThecolorsthatI observedthroughoutthislabinorderofhighestfrequencytolowestwere,faintpurple,white,white, blue/white,blue/orange,blue/orange,lightblue,lightblue,lightblue,green,lightgreen,green/orange, andred.Thereisarelationshipbetweenenergy,frequency,andwavelength,becauseitallrelatestothe samethingthatitappliesto.Itisalsoconnectedbecausetheyareusedtolisttheenergy,frequencyand wavelengthofacertaintypeofwave.OriginallyIcouldnotdeterminethenameoftheunknown materialsthatwereprovidedforustotestuntilitwastoldtous.Althoughafterlearningthatitwasjusta differentformofBoraxandCalciumChlorideIcanseethesimilarities.Ithinkthatitreallydependson howcleanthematerialsthatyouusetotestunknownmaterialsinordertofigureouttheidentity.Ialso believeitreallydependsontheexperienceandknowledgethatyouhaveofthematerials.Different chemicalstendtoemitdifferentcolorsoflight,becausethereisalwaysgoingtobeachangebecause therearedifferentelementsinthechemicals.Alsosomechemicalsmayproduceasimilarflame comparedtoanother,butoverallitreallycomesdownthethebreakdownofthecompoundandwhat wasusedtomakethatcompound.Chemicalsmustbeheatedbeforeemittingthecoloredlight,mainly becauseoftheelectronsinthechemicals,theseelectronswhenheatedgointoanexcitedstate. Basicallytheexcitedelectronsjumptothenextshellthatcirclesthenucleusoftheatomforashort periodoftime.Whentheelectronsreturntotheirneutralstate,thatiswhentheyemitthecolored photon.Therearecolorfullightemissionsthatareapplicabletoeverydaylife,anexamplewouldbethe neonsignsthatyouwouldseeinbigcities.Theseneonsignsarerelatedtotheexperimentwedidin class,becauseinsidethesignaregasesinsteadofmetals,whichareheatedrepeatedly.