Inquiry: Flame TestsQuestion: You are a creating a fireworks display. What metallic salts will you put in your fireworks to produce specific colors?

Inquiry: Flame Tests Materials:

Lab NotebooksLab apronGogglesBunsen burnerDistilled waterEight 250 ml beakersEight 100ml beakers8 pieces of nichrome wire 8 inches long8 metallic salts such as

sodium chloride calcium chloridepotassium chloride strontium chloridebarium chloride copper II chloridelead chloride magnesium chloride

Inquiry: Flame TestsSafety:

Lab apron and goggles must be worn at all times!

Use caution while using the burner!

Tie back long hair and roll up long sleeves!

Caution: lead and barium are poisonous!

Inquiry: Flame Tests Teacher Preparation:

Your teacher will prepare a station for each salt to be tested.

Each station contains: 1) 2 grams of each salt to be tested in

a 250 ml beaker labeled with the name of the salt. 2) 50 ml of distilled water in a 100 ml beaker. 3) A Bunsen burner. 4) A nichrome wire or large paper clip.

Procedure: 1.) At each station you will test a metallic salt for the color it produces when placed in a flame. 2.) Dip your wire into the distilled water to wet the end and then dip the moistened wire into the salt in order to pick up a few salt crystals .3.) Place the wire into the flame and note the color produced. 4.) Repeat the procedure several times placing the wire into different parts of the flame to see the result. 5.) Create a table to collect your data.

Conclusion Questions:

1.) What salts would you use in your fireworks display? Why?

2.) What is spectroscopy? How does it work?

3.) Explain why characteristic colors are produced for most elements?