Flame Emission Spectroscopy

- During flame emission spectroscopy, a sample is placed in a flame - as the ions heat up, the electrons move to higher energy levels and when they drop back to their original levels, they release energy as light

- The light passes through a spectroscope, which can detect different wavelengths f light to produce a line spectrum

- The combination of wavelengths emitted by an ion depends on its charge and electron arragnement - no two ions have the same charge or electron arrangement, different ions emit different wavelengths of light - each ion produces a different pattern of wavelengths and has a different line spectrum

- The intensity of the spectrum indicates the concentration of that ion in solution

- The line spectra can be used to identify ions in solution and calculate their concentrations

- Flame emission spectroscopy can be used to identify ions in mixtures - this makes it more useful than flame tests, which only work for substances that contain a single metal ion

- Chemists often use instrumental analysis (tests that use machines), such as flame emission spectroscopy, instead of conducting manual tests

- Machines are very sensitive, so they detects substances that are present in small amounts - they are very fast and tests can be automated - they are very accurate