Flame emission spectroscopy
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Explainer Video
Summary
Flame emission spectroscopy
In a nutshell
Instrumental analysis methods, such as flame emission spectroscopy, can help to identify a mixture of metal ions present in a solution. It can also be used to determine the concentration of the metal ion(s) present.
Flame emission spectroscopy
procedure
1. | Place the sample in a flame. |
2. | Ions heat up leading to excited electrons. |
3. | Electrons drop back to their original energy level and energy is transferred as light. |
4. | Light passes through a spectroscope. |
5. | Spectroscope detects the different wavelengths of light (different colours) which produces a line spectrum. |
6. | Colours seen are dependant on the ionic charge and electron configuration. |
7. | No ion has the same charge and same electron configuration as another, therefore each metal ion produces a different pattern of wavelengths (colours) hence producing a different line spectrum. |
8. | Concentration of a given ion can be determined by the intensity of the wavelength. |
Example
A sample produces the first spectrum, below. You can then compare the spectrum to references. In this example the sample contains ion A and ion B and the wavelengths for the sample correspond to that of ions A and B.
Advantages of instrumental analysis
- Very fast
- Highly sensitive
- Super accurate
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
How is the concentration of an ion found using flame emission spectroscopy?
Concentration of a given ion can be determined by the intensity of the wavelength.
What are the advantages of instrumental analysis over chemical tests?
Advantages of instrumental analysis over chemical tests is that it is very fast, highly sensitive and super accurate.
What is the purpose of flame emission spectroscopy?
Instrumental analysis methods such as flame emission spectroscopy can be used to identify a mixture of metal ions present in a solution.