Flame emission spectroscopy, reading line spectra to find the metal ions in a mixture, and concentrations from a calibration line.
What you will learn
- Give the advantages of instrumental methods
- Identify the metal ions in a mixture from line spectra
- Find a concentration from a calibration line, allowing for dilution
Flame emission spectroscopy
The sample is put into a flame and the light it gives out is passed through a spectroscope.
Each metal ion gives out light at its own wavelengths, so it makes its own line spectrum.
A metal is present only if every one of its lines appears in the sample. Unlike a flame test, this works for mixtures.
Instrumental methods are accurate, sensitive (tiny amounts) and rapid, but the equipment is expensive and must be calibrated.
The rest of this lesson and its 10 practice questions are locked.
In this lesson
- Flame emission spectroscopy
- How much is there?
- Try it: Read the spectra
10 practice questions, marked as you go; about 20 minutes in all.
Key terms
Line spectrum, Every one, Accurate, Sensitive, Rapid
In this unit: Chemical analysis
Purity and formulations, chromatography and Rf values, tests for gases, and for separate Chemistry the tests for ions and flame emission spectroscopy.