Flame emission spectroscopy

• What is flame emission spectroscopy also known as?

  Flame photometry
• What happens to metal ions when they are heated?

  They emit light at specific wavelengths
• How does the flame test work?

  By heating metal over a Bunsen burner flame
• What is a limitation of the flame test?

  It struggles with similar colored metals
• How does flame emission spectroscopy overcome the limitations of the flame test?

  By using a spectroscope to detect wavelengths
• What does each metal ion produce in flame emission spectroscopy?

  A unique line spectrum
• What does the intensity of the lines on the spectrum indicate?

  The concentration of the ion
• How can flame emission spectroscopy be used with multiple metal ions?

  It shows combined line spectra for all ions
• How can scientists identify ions in an unknown sample?

  By comparing its spectrum to known spectra
• What do scientists look for in the line spectrum of an unknown sample?

  Matching lines with known metal ions
• What are the three main benefits of instrumental methods?

  Accuracy, sensitivity, and speed
• How do instrumental methods compare to manual tests?

  Instrumental methods are more accurate and sensitive
• Why are instrumental methods considered very sensitive?

  They can detect tiny amounts of substances
• What does automation in instrumental methods imply?

  They do not need constant human intervention
• What are the key differences between flame tests and flame emission spectroscopy?

  • Flame tests are basic and cheap
  • Flame emission spectroscopy uses a spectroscope
  • Spectroscopy provides unique line spectra
  • Spectroscopy can analyze multiple ions simultaneously
• What is the process of identifying ions in an unknown sample using spectroscopy?

  1. Run the unknown sample through a spectroscope
  2. Obtain the line spectrum
  3. Compare with standard line spectra
  4. Identify matching lines to determine present ions
  5. Calculate concentrations of each ion