Flame Test Prelab
(Write out and answer these questions as part of your background section)
1) Emission of light from an atom occurs when the electron ____________. a) drops from higher to lower energy level. b) Jumps from lower to higher energy level. c) moves within the atomic orbital d) falls into the nucleus
2) When electrons move away from the nucleus, the energy of the electron ___. a) decreases b) increases c) stays the same
3) In order to occupy the same energy level, two electrons must have _______. a) high energy level b) low energy level c) same spin d) opposite spin
OBJECTIVE:
Use the periodic table to determine the number of valence electrons, to identify chemical properties of elements, and to write electron configurations while performing flame tests on those elements and understand that the flame changes the energy level of the last electron.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
If you answer the following questions in complete sentences, you do not have to write the question.
1) Who perfected the flame test?
2) What is happening when a flame test is being performed?
3) What are two ways that chemistry of electron configuration is used in society?
4) Why does one electron in a potassium atom go into the fourth energy level instead of squeezing into the third energy level along with the other eight already there?
LABORATORY MATERIALS:
Bunsen burner, matches, wood splints, copper II chloride, barium chloride, calcium chloride, lithium chloride, strontium chloride, potassium chloride (All of the chemicals are dissolved in
MeOH.) 3 unknown solutions
HYPOTHESIS:
Using your textbook or internet research make an educated prediction, predict the flame color of each of your compounds. Why are we able to assume that we are dealing with only the element when each of the elements are chlorine compounds and are dissolved in methanol?

PROCEDURES:
1) Make a table that describes Cu, Ba, Ca, Li, Sr, K, their electron configuration (use the periodic table), their characteristic flame color, and what energy level and the orbital of their last electron.
2) Obtain the chemicals dissolved in methanol.
3) Set up your Bunsen burner making sure that you have a hot cone. What makes a hot cone?
4) Move the soaked wood splint for each chemical through the flame.
5) Be sure to watch carefully the color change. Some of the color changes are very pronounced, while others are very discrete. When the flame turns to a yellowish orange all of the chemical is burned off.
8) When you examine the color, use a spectroscope to examine the specific bands of the atomic emission spectrum for each of the elements and your unknowns.
9) Using your data, determine what ions are in your unknown solutions.
10) Clean up your lab bench and return chemicals and equipment to their proper places.