Cady Bright 
Lab 2 Report 
10/2/17

Utilising Spectroscopic Methods to Determine Elements Present in  

Known Solutions to Determine Elements Present in Unknown Solutions 
 
Introduction 
The task of this investigation was to conduct a spectroscopic investigation consisting of three parts: a 
flame test, a computer based spectral emissions test, and a spectral emission line test. The flame test was 
conducted by burning six different salt solutions (NaCl, CuCl​2​, LiCl, KCl, CaCl​2​, and SrCl​2​) to see what colour the 
flames turn, and use that information to determine the makeup of two unknowns. The computer based 
spectral emissions test was conducted by burning four of the same salt solutions (NaC, LiCl, KCl, and SrCl​2​) and 
recording the data using a spectrophotometer - an instrument designed to provide quantitative measurement 
of a substance or light in both wavelengths and intensity. The spectrometer is then​ ​attached to a computer, 
and using that data to determine the identity of an unknown. The final test was conducted using a 
spectroscope (an instrument designed to show light emissions on a specific portion of the electromagnetic 
spectrum) and an Atomic Emission Spectra Key to determine the elements within three unknown spectrum 
tubes. The purpose of this lab was to explore spectroscopy and emission lines, and to understand how to use 
the equipment involved. Within those, it served to explain the role spectroscopy/emission lines play in the 
development of atomic models, how the Bohr model of atom can explain observed reactions, and how 
spectroscopy/emission lines can reveal the elemental makeup of a substance.  
A model of the atom, proposed by Neils Bohr, shows the nucleus in the centre, with electrons circling 
the nucleus in orbitals, which are also called energy levels. Each energy level must fill up with a specific 
number of electrons before electrons can inhabit the next level. For example, the first energy level can contain 
two electrons, the second and third can contain eight, and the fourth and fifth can contain eighteen. 
Spectroscopy, the study and measurement of interactions between electromagnetic radiation and matter, is 
important to understand because it provides insight on how the atom works and helps identify elements 
present in a substance, as each element has a different set of emission lines. Atomic emission spectrum lines 
are lines of colour on a spectrograph, showing that a substance has emitted light of a single wavelength, which 
happens when electrons move between energy levels within the atom.  
When photons are passed through the atom and collide with electrons, the energy provided by the 
photon allows the electron to jump to a higher energy level, and then release the photon to come back down 
to its original energy level. Photons are wavelengths of light than can behave like both particles and waves. 
The electromagnetic spectrum displays the frequency and therefore energy of different photons. The 
spectrum begins with radio waves, having the lowest frequency, then infrared, visible colours (red, orange, 
yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet - in that order), ultraviolet light, x-rays, and gamma rays, having the 
highest frequency. The greater the frequency of the photon colliding with the electron, the more energy the 
electron has and thus the greater jump the electron can make.  
Because each element has a unique number of electrons and spacing between energy levels, the 
energy needed to make the jump, and thusly the colour output of each, is unique as well. Atomic emission 
spectrum lines capture this unique colour output and place it on a visible spectrum, beginning at violet and 
ending at red, with lines of colour in between based on what the spectrometre captures, resulting in a 
elemental fingerprint, so to speak. If there are several elements present, the lines will overlap. A substance 
must be plasma to emit emission lines, because the atoms must be in an excited state for electrons to move.  
Results   
Part I 
Table 1 - Solutions vs. Flame Colour 
Knowns  Unknowns 
Solution  Flame Colour  Solution  Colour 
Control (H20)  Blue  Unknown 1  Blue w/ pink/orange 
NaCl  Orange  Unknown 2  Pink 
CuCl​2  Green 
LiCl  Pink/Purple 
KCl  Blue w/ white and green 
CaCl​2  Blue w/ white and pink 
SrCl​2  Pink/Red      
 
Part II * 
Table 2 - Solutions vs Peaks (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) in Data  
Knowns 
Solution  Peak 1  Peak 2  Peak 3  Peak 4  Peak 5 
Control  736.3nm, 0.092 rel         
KCl  544.6nm, 0.441rel  613.2nm, 0.345rel  771.2nm, 0.230rel     
425-445.7nm, 
SrCl​2  0.363-0.414rel  490.6nm, 0.518rel  543.8nm, 0.637rel  588.1nm, 0.538rel  612.4nm, 0.662rel 
NaCl  489nm, 0.317rel  539.9nm, 0.398rel  590.3nm, 0.610  613.2nm, 0.376   
LiCl  671.6nm, 0.946rel         
 
Unknown 
Solution  Peak 1  Peak 2  Peak 3  Peak 4  Peak 5 
1  489.7nm, 0.206rel  543nm, 0.245rel  590.3nm, 0.251rel  612.4nm, 0.261rel  772.2nm, 0.584rel 
 

   
Figure 1 - Wavelength vs. Intensity,  Figure 2 - Wavelength vs. Intensity, ​KCl  Figure 3 - Wavelength vs. Intensity, ​SrCl2 
Control 
    
Figure 5 - Wavelength vs. Intensity, ​LiCl  Figure 6​ - Wavelength vs. Intensity, ​Unknown 
Figure 4 - Wavelength vs. Intensity, ​NaCl 
 
* ​This data was acquired courtesy to Nyana, Evan, and Alan, who were able to finish this part of the 
experiment.  
 
Part III 
Table 3 - Solutions vs. Colours on Electromagnetic Spectrum (nm) 
Spectrum Results
Solution  Violet  Indigo Blue  Green  Yellow  Red 
B  410  420  540  590   
C    450  500  590  680 
 

Figure 7 - Wavelength (nm) of Emission Spectra, ​Unknown B  Figure 8 - Wavelength (nm) of Emission Spectra, ​Unknown C 

 
Identities of Unknowns in Parts I, II, and III 
Table 4 - Solution vs. Hypothesised Identity for Parts I, II, and III 
Part I Part II Part III
Hypothesised Hypothesised Hypothesised
Solution Identity Solution Identity Solution Identity
Unknown 1 CaCl2 Unknown 1 NaCl and KCl Unknown B Mercury
Unknown 2 LiCl Unknown C Cadmium
 
 
   
Discussion 
Part I 
The control of Part I is simply putting piece of melamine foam soaked in pure water on a clean 
nichrome wire into the flame. Water is being used because the solutions being tested are dissolved in water. 
An uncontaminated control test such as this provides perspective on what to look for on top of the expected 
reaction shown by the control. 
As in Table 4, it can be concluded that the first solution contains CaCl​2​, and the second contains LiCl. 
This is a reasonable deduction because when observing Table 1, LiCl burned very clearly pink and purple, and 
Unknown 2 burned pink. SrCl​2​ was eliminated because it also contained red, and CaCl​2​ was eliminated because 
it burned to light of a pink. While the identity of Unknown 2 was harder to deduce, CaCl​2​ was chosen because 
SrCl​2​ contained red, and because NaCl was too orange. These conclusions are not concrete, as human error in 
this process is more than feasible. Subsequently, these results are qualitative and of subjective nature.  
This test shows that it is the metal present, not the nonmetal, that determines the colour of the flame. 
Chlorine was the nonmetal in this test, and was present in every test, while the metal changed (Na, Sr, Ca, etc). 
Furthermore, every time the solution changed, the colour of the flame did as well. While the control test did 
not contain chlorine, there is clear correlation between the changing of the metals and changing of the colour 
of the resulting flame.  
 
Part II 
It is possible to detect one metal in the presence of another by looking at either the computer 
generated graphs or the spectrum visual displayed by the spectrometer. Even then, the graph and the 
spectrum visual both display the same information in different forms. The graph’s axis are labelled “intensity” 
on the y-axis, which correlates to how bright a line on a visible spectrum scale is, and “wavelength” on the 
x-axis, which correlates to what colours show up on the visible spectrum scale.  
Using the graph, it is possible for one to compare peaks in both colour (nm wavelength) and in their 
height (intensity). When two metals are present, peaks from both will be present, and will look like the graphs 
of the two have simply been placed on top of each other, like sheets of tracing paper. For example, if a 
substance was made up of LiCl and KCl, the graph would likely show peaks with maximums at 544.6nm, 
0.441rel, 613.2nm, 0.345rel, 671.6nm, 0.946rel, and 771.2nm, 0.230rel.  
As can be seen in Table 4, the two metals present in Unknown 1 of this section were NaCl and KCl. The 
overall shape of the graph bears similarity to both the graph of the NaCl and the KCl. If more tests were to be 
done and an average was taken, it is likely that these graphs would more closely align in terms of intensity. 
Despite this, both KCl and the unknown have a peak right at about 770 nm, which was present in no other 
graph. Furthermore, the peaks of the two knowns correlate exceedingly closely between that of the known and 
the unknown. Peaks 1-4 of Unknown 1 and NaCl match up within four nm. Peak 2 of Unkown 1 and Peak 1 of KCl 
match up within 1 nm, Peak 4 of Unknown 1 and Peak 3 of KCl match up within 1 nm, and Peak 5 of Unknown 1 
and Peak 3 of KCl also match up within 1 nm. Simply, all peaks in the graph of Unknown 1 align with at least 
one of the peaks of NaCl and KCl.  
 
Part III 
Given an Atomic Emission Spectrum Key containing the spectrum of Hg (Mercury), Li (Lithium), Cd 
(Cadmium), Sr (Strontium), Ca (Calcium), and Na (Sodium), it is reasonable to conclude that Unknown B is 
Mercury and Unknown C is Cadmium. Mercury has its brightest emission lines at 405 nm, 435 nm, 545 nm, 580 
nm and 615 nm. Unknown B, in comparison, has its brightest emission lines at 410, 420, 540, and 590. While 
these may not seem remarkably close, Mercury is the closest to Unknown B out of the entire key. Cadmium has 
its brightest emission lines at 465 nm, 480 nm, 510 nm, 610 nm, and 640 nm. Unknown C has its brightest 
emission lines at 450 nm, 500 nm, 590 nm, and 680 nm. Again, while these have as much as a 20 nm 
difference, they are still quite close when compared to the rest of the key. 
While one can identify an element based off of its visible emission lines, the entire emission spectrum 
is not visible to human eyes. In fact, only a small portion of the emission spectrum is visible light. Electrons can 
still jump when colliding with other invisible photons, such as ultraviolet light, even though humans cannot 
see it happening on the spectrum. Even with visible light, colours may still be emitted that are too faint for 
human eyes to pick up on. Varying brightness or intensity of emission lines can be attributed either to the kind 
of light being passed through the atom, or to the amount of energy needed to move electrons between energy 
levels. For example, an atom with less space between certain energy levels is likely to emit lines on the 
600-700 nm end of the scale. An atom with more space between certain energy levels is likely to emit lines on 
the 400-500 nm end of the scale, because it requires particles with more energy to move between energy 
levels.