Equipment for Spectral Lines/Spectroscopy - Flame Salts
Strontium Chloride
Cupric Chloride
Equipment for Spectral Lines/Spectroscopy - Flame Salts
Chloride Bottles & Platinum Wire Sampler

 

Code Number: 7B10.11

Demo Title: Spectral Lines/Spectroscopy - Flame Salts

Condition: Excellent

Principle: Spectra of Various Gases, Spectral Lines of Elements

Area of Study: Modern Physics, Optics, Astronomy

Equipment: 

Watch glass, Methanol, Grill Lighter, Bunsen Burner - Mesh Screen Optional, Platinum Bead Wire, Spectroscopy Chemicals (Chloride Salts of Barium, Boron, Calcium, Lithium, Potassium, Sodium, and Strontium), Handheld Spectroscopes.

Procedure:

See also: 7B10.11 in Astronomy.

The best method is to pour a small amount of the desired salt onto a watch glass and wet with methanol.  Light the methanol with the grill lighter and when the excess methanol has burned off and intense color should be produces that is indicative of the salt used.  View the emission lines with a hand held spectra scope or small grating.  

NOTE:  Doing the above experiment and viewing with an Ocean Optics spectrometer will give quantitative results.

An alternative of this is to fit the small screens onto the Bunsen burner and then to pour a small amount of the desired chemical directly onto this screen.  Heat the platinum wire in the Bunsen burner flame. Dip the wire into the desired chemical. Some of the chemical will be melted onto the wire. Hold this in the Bunsen burner flame and observe the different colors and intensities for the different chemicals.

References:

  • M. Farooq Wahab, "Estimating the Wavelength of Sodium Emission in Flame -- The Easy Way", TPT, Vol. 47, # 6, Sept. 2009, p. 367.
  • Kenneth Brecher,  "Do Atoms Really "Emit" Absorption Lines?",  TPT, Vol. 29, # 7, p.  454 Oct 1991.
  • Eugene Decker, Alan Cromer, "Flame Spectra", TPT, Vol. 21, # 5, May 1983, p. 324.
  • H. L. Armstrong, "Producing Flame Spectra", TPT, Vol. 10, # 9, Dec. 1972, p. 529.
  • Tik Liem, "Color the Flame", Investigation to Science Inquiry, pp. 157.
  • Charles Vivian, "Test by Fire", Science Experiments & Amusements For Children, p. 82.
  • "Flame Testing Salts", Vernier.com, Fall 2008.
  • "Flame Tests",  Chemistry,  p. 27.
  • John Mocko, "Spectroscopy with Balloons", PIRA News, Vol. 9 No 4.
  • Ron Hipschman, "Iron Sparks", Exploratorium Cookbook III, pp. 176.1 - 176.4.
  • W. Bolton, "Molecular Spectra", Book 2 - Waves and Particles, Physics Experiments and Projects, 1968, p. 45-46.
  • Borislaw Bilash II, “Flame Tests“, A Demo A Day – A Year of Physical Science Demonstrations, p. 116.