Name ___________________________________ Date __________ Pd _____

Rainbow
of
Colors



Metals, like all other types of matter emit colors when heated. In this lab, you will heat
solutions of several metals to see what colors the metals produce.

Procedure.

1. Light the burner.
2. Place a pre-soaked toothpick in the tips of the crucible tongs and hold it near the
top of the flame or the outside of the flame.
3. Watch for a color to be produced and record it in the data table. DO NOT write
orange for all samples!! Orange is a contaminant. Look for a color other than
orange.
4. Place the toothpick in the beaker of cold water at your station.
5. Repeat this procedure with all samples.
6. Using the same procedure, test the two unknown samples at your station and
record the colors you see.









Data Table:
Metal Color of Flame
Potassium

Calcium

Barium

Lithium

Strontium

Copper

Sodium

Unknown #1

Unknown #2


Questions.
1. Predict which metals were present in each of the unknown solutions.
Unknown #1 _________________________
Unknown #2 _________________________

2. Predict the wavelength of each color produced.
Potassium
Calcium
Barium
Lithium
Strontium
Copper
Sodium
Unknown #1


3. How would you characterize the sensitivity of this test? In other words, was it
easy or hard to tell what color was produced? Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________