1. Technicolor Atoms
The Flame Tests

2. Pre-Lab Read the lab description on page 86.
Make a data table with the headings below:
List the substances and their formulas in the table from the materials list on pg 86.

3. Chem Catalyst
These drawings are models that show solid copper, solid copper chloride, and aqueous copper chloride as collections of atoms.
Describe each model.
What is similar about each model? What is different?

4. Safety Legs and feet covered Hair tied up Move with caution
Monitor bunsen burners carefully
Do not cross-contaminate Q-Tips

5. Go Do Lab

6. Team Analysis Group the substances based on the flame colors produced.
What patterns do you notice in the groupings?
Predict the flame color for a substance called strontium sulfate. Explain your reasoning.
What evidence do you have that atoms of certain elements produce a flame of a specific color?
Can a flame test be used to identify a metal atom in a compound? What about a nonmetal atom? Explain.

7. Discussion
Which part of the compound seems to be producing the colors? What’s the evidence?
How can you use the flame test to identify elements in a substance?
What are some good uses for this phenomenon?

8. Notes It is the metal in the compounds which causes the colored flame
The flame test can be used to determine what metals in are in an unknown compound.
Metals are used in fireworks and other applications for color

9. More Notes: Explaining the Colored Light
Electrons can move within the atom.
Heat from the flame excites the electrons, causing them to jump to an energy level farther from the nucleus.
When the electrons “fall” back to their original energy level, energy is released as colored light.
Sodium Atom
The different colors of light released are evidence that electrons move in different “energy shells”.

10. Getting Specific
If you pass the colored light through a prism or a diffraction grating, the color will get separated into specific wavelengths of light. This is an emission spectrum
All elements have an emission spectrum, and it is unique to that element – like a finger print.

11. Homework
Lesson 17
Read pages 87-90
Questions 1-2, 5-7, 9-11