Flame Tests Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

What flame colour does a lithium ion, $\mathrm{Li^+}$, give in a flame test?

Red.

What flame colour does a sodium ion, $\mathrm{Na^+}$, give in a flame test?

Yellow.

Which metal ion gives a lilac flame in a flame test?

The potassium ion, $\mathrm{K^+}$.

What flame colour does a calcium ion, $\mathrm{Ca^{2+}}$, give in a flame test?

Orange-red.

Which metal ion gives a blue-green flame in a flame test?

The copper ion, $\mathrm{Cu^{2+}}$.

What are the steps to carry out a flame test on a solid?
e.g. a solid containing lithium ions

1. Clean the flame test wire by dipping it in dilute hydrochloric acid.
2. Dip the wire into the solid.
3. Hold the wire in the hottest part of a blue (roaring) Bunsen flame, at the tip of the blue cone, and note the colour — red for lithium.