Chemical Analysis

• What does it mean when a substance is pure?

  • nothing added to it - natural state

  • one compound or element
• How can you tell if a substance is pure?

  • melt or boil at specific temperature

  • measure the melting or boiling points comparing it to melting or boiling point of pure substance

  • closer to actual melting or boiling point the purer the sample
• What is a formulation?


  useful mixtures with a precise purpose that are made by formula
• What is a pigment?

  gives paint colour
• What is a solvent?

  used to dissolve the other components and alter the viscosity
• What is a binder?


  forms a film that holds the pigment in place after its been painted on
• What is an additive?

  added to further change the physical and chemical properties of the plant
• How does flame emission spectroscopy?

  • ions are heated electrons becoming excited as energy drops to original level they transfer energy as light

  • light passes through a spectroscope which detects different wavelength of light to produce a line spectrum

  • combination of wavelength emmited by an ion depends on its charge and electron arrangement produces different pattern of wavelength

  • intensity of spectrum indicates the concentration of ion in solution
• What are the advantages of flame emission spectroscopy?

  • very sensitive

  • very fast

  • accurate