Flame emission spectroscopy

• What is flame emission spectroscopy sometimes called?

  Flame photometry
• What is the underlying principle of flame emission spectroscopy?

  Metal ions emit light when heated, and the wavelengths of that light are specific to the metal ion.
• How does the flame test work?

  By heating the metal over a Bunsen burner flame and observing the color of the flame.
• What are the limitations of the flame test when comparing metals?

  It struggles with metals that have similar colors or when multiple metals are present in a sample.
• How does flame emission spectroscopy overcome the limitations of the flame test?

  By using a spectroscope to detect individual wavelengths of emitted light.
• What does each different metal ion produce in flame emission spectroscopy?

  A unique line spectrum that can be used to identify the metal ion.
• What does the intensity of the lines on the spectrum indicate?

  The concentration of the ion in the sample.
• What happens when a sample contains multiple different metal ions in flame emission spectroscopy?

  The line spectrum will show the lines for all of the metal ions present.
• How can scientists identify the ions in an unknown sample using flame emission spectroscopy?

  By comparing the line spectrum of the unknown sample to standard line spectra for known metal ions.
• What should you look for to identify the metal ions present in an unknown sample?

  The metal ions that have the same lines as those in the unknown sample's spectrum.
• What is a key difference between manual tests and instrumental methods like flame emission spectroscopy?


  Instrumental methods use expensive machines and often provide better results.
• What are the three main benefits of instrumental methods in analysis?

  • Very accurate
  • Very sensitive (can detect tiny amounts)
  • Very fast (can often be automated)
• What is the main advantage of flame emission spectroscopy?

  It can identify multiple different metal ions in a sample simultaneously.