Question

We did a lab in class on Friday where we stuck a metal loop in various chemicals and stuck it in the flame of a Bunsen burner and we observed the flame's colors as the different metals went in. For every lab we do, we have to write a writeup which involves a graph. How could I do a graph for this lab? We can do a line graph, bar graph, etc...

Answer 1

You might make a graph with the x-axis wavelength and the y-axis element. You may need to look up the wavelengths. The yellow line you see for Na is 589 nm, the violet for K is 404 and the crimson for Li is 671 nm (all of these are in round numbers). You can get more accurate by looking them up. For Ba the green/yellow color you see is not a line spectrum but a band spectrum for BaO.

Answer 2

Oh I see. Like ordering the energy levels of the elements, right? Like elements with red flames have a lower energy level than an element with a violet colored flame..

Answer 3

Yes. I don't know that the VISIBLE colors will fall on a straight line but I'm sure you can make the graph so it will make sense that way.