Homework Help: Chemistry

Posted by chrisalis on Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 9:10pm.

In regards to atomic emission spectroscopy:

Explain why the intensity of the color gets brighter when the metal salt concentration is higher. Salt is any ionic compound that has positive ions(called cations) and their associated negative ions (called anions). For example, lithium nitrate is a salt as well as sodium chloride.

AND

Explain why you see a colored flame when you burn the salt solution. That is, what is going on with the salt when it's heated to give off the color light? Which part of the salt, the metal ion or its anion, gives off the color light?

I want to gather an understanding of this, but I fear that its a bit over my head. Thanks!

Chemistry - DrBob222, Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 9:18pm
Suppose we take the Na ion as an example. It has one electron in the outside shell. When anything containing the Na ion is placed in a flame, (NaCl, Na2SO4, NaBr, etc), the atom absorbs energy from the flame and the outside electron is moved to an outer energy level. That is an "excited" Na atom. In a very short time, the electron will move to a lower energy level. It will lose some of the energy when it does and the energy emitted by the excited ion is in the form of light. That is the yellow light you see when a sodium salt is placed in the flame. Why does it get more intense when the solution is more concentrated? Because more ions doing their thing gives more light and more light means higher intensity.
Chemistry - chrisalis, Sunday, January 13, 2008 at 10:09am
Okay that makes much more sense than before, lol. Thanks!!!

Answer this Question

Related Questions

chemistry - Suppose that you wanted to be sure that a metal ion, any metal ion, ...
Chemistry - Suppose that you wanted to be sure that a metal ion, any metal ion, ...
Chemistry - A metal, , of atomic weight 96 reacts with fluorine to form a salt ...
Chemistry - A metal, , of atomic weight 96 reacts with fluorine to form a salt ...
Chemistry 1046 - A metal, M, of atomic mass 91 amu reacts with fluorine to form ...
CHEM - A metal, M, of atomic mass 91 amu reacts with fluorine to form a salt ...
chemistry - A pan full of hot salt water, NaCl(aq), is cooled and NaCl(s) ...
Chemistry - if i place C6H14 and KI in a test tube, then some metal salt (MNO3...
Biology - A cell has a salt concentration of 0.2 %. If it is placed into a ...
chemistry - a salt solution is evaporated to dryness. If 25.7 g of the solution ...

For Further Reading

First Name:
School Subject:
Answer: