Central University of Venezuela. Faculty of Sciences. School of Chemistry.

Laboratory of Principles of Chemistry. Professor Alberto Fernández.

PRACTICE 1: THE LIGHTER AND FLAME TESTS

Rubén Daniel Niño Peña - 09/05/16

Summary
This practice aimed to understand the Bunsen burner and its parts, to study the flame and
the combustion phenomena, determine the ions responsible for the coloration of the flame
through flame tests and identifying elements in a problematic sample. Tests were conducted
of the type of flame emitted by the Bunsen burner in different air inlet configurations with
constant fuel gas flow. The temperature differences of the flame were determined. It
they conducted experiments to identify components by their flame coloration. It was concluded
that the Bunsen burner is a source of heat that does not contaminate the samples exposed to it, with
utility to detect the presence of metal ions, which are responsible for the coloration of
the flame to which they are exposed and which the ion Cu2+it emits an intense emerald green color to the flame.

Introduction The Bunsen burner has a heavy base.

The Bunsen burner was designed by in which the gas supply is introduced
Robert Bunsen in Germany in 1857. He flammable. From there, a vertical tube extends from
I needed a llama with characteristics that the combustible gas flows through a
they were not present in any of the flames small hole at the bottom of the tube. Some
that were produced in the instruments of drillings on the sides of the tube
laboratory of the time. allow the entry of air into the gas flow
Nowadays, the Bunsen burner is one of combustible providing a mixture
those instruments that are found flammable at the gas outlet in the part
found in all laboratories of upper part of the tube where the
chemistry and related sciences around the world, combustion, very effective for the realization of
and is used to heat and sterilize chemical experiences.
samples or reagents. Its characteristic In the flame of the Bunsen burner
the main thing is that it mixes air with gas three parts can be distinguished. The inner cone,
flammable before ignition occurs, and the coldest part of the flame (between 300 °C and
this generates a non-luminous flame and 350 °C on the inside and 500 °C at
very hot. It is one of the sources of heat 1300°C on the outer part of this is a
simpler of the laboratories and allows bright blue, located at the bottom
regulating the temperature of the flame by means of of the flame. The luminous tip presents the
controls in the passage of combustible gas and of maximum flame temperature (up to
air. 1400 °C), is located at the top of
internal cone and it is also the most part
luminous from the whole flame. The outer mantle is
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the outermost portion of the flame presents some parts of this. This experience is
a high temperature (Fernández and García, divided into three parts.
2016). Part A: Test with the air windows
Another topic to address in this practice is that of closed. The lighter was lit with the
the characteristics of the flame that produce closed air windows to observe the
certain substances when exposed to this. The generated llama and then make it pass
coloration and intensity of the flame a clean and dry glass of a clock on the tip
is unique to each element. When absorbing the upper part of the flame in order to visualize
energy of the flame, the valence electron of any change that it may present.
each element is excited, that is, it goes to Part B: Test with air windows
next orbital to return later to open. It was done as in Part A
its ground state. This relaxation is the but on this occasion with the windows of
that emits light by releasing the absorbed energy completely open air.
as light energy. Part C: Relative temperature of the cone
A metal can be defined as a inside the flame. With the air windows
element whose electrons are found open, the head of a match was introduced
united with relatively little strength and a no new and off in the center of the inner cone
metal is an element whose electrons are for a few seconds and they were observed the
strongly adhered (Welcher and Hahn, changes. Subsequently, the introduction of the
1956). head of another new and extinguished match in the
Therefore, this practice is carried out regarding cloak, just above the bright tip and
from the Bunsen burner and flame tests the changes were observed.
with the following objectives: Experience 2
Know the Bunsen burner and its In this experience, the effect was observed
parts. about the coloration of the flame when introducing into
Study the flame and the phenomena of saline solutions with common ions
combustion. using swabs. This experience was divided
Determine the ions responsible for the in two parts.
flame coloration through tests to the Part A: Determination of the color of the
llama call when introducing a swab moistened with
Identify elements in samples distilled water. In this way, it was possible to
problem. obtain the white of the experiment, a color
to have as a reference for the
following experiences.
Methods and Materials Part B: Reagent essay. Conducted
Four experiments were carried out in this. observations of the flame color at
laboratory practice to be introduced into it wet swabs
Experience 1 in saline solutions of NaCl, NaHCO3,
The effect of the state of the Sodium hydroxide4Cl.
lighter window about the characteristics Experience 3
of the flame and the relative temperature of Following the steps taken in the
Experience 2, observations were made of

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the coloration of the flame when introducing into it the combustion energy was absorbed by the
swabs moistened in saline solutions of excess carbon causing it to
SrCl2, KCl, CuCl2Calcium Chloride2BaCl2y H3BO3. excite and then relax, emitting waves
Experience 4 of light. This produced a bright reddish flame and
A solid unknown sample was used. soot (carbon in solid state) as
labeled as "Sample 11" with which it residue. Expressed in the following reaction:
a solution was made with distilled water.
Following the steps taken in the C3H8(g)+ 7∕2O2(g) → CO (g)+ CO2(g)+ 4 H2O(g)+ C(s)
Experiences 2 and 3, a damp swab in By keeping the air windows open
the solution of the 'Sample 11' was passed through and the same constant input of propane, the
the flame to observe if any was produced oxygen becomes stoichiometrically in
change in its coloration and try to identify excess with respect to propane (and hence the
some cation or anion present. carbon). As a result, propane is
completely consumed, generating a
Results and discussion dim blue llama, with excess of
Experience 1 unreacted oxygen and without the formation of
The results obtained in Parts A and residues such as soot. This is explained by
They are shown in Table 1: the following reaction:

Table 1. Experience 1. Parts A and B.

Test Characteristics of the Observations of
C3H8(g)+ 6 O2(g) → 3 CO 2(g)+ O2(g)+ 4 H2O(g)

llama clock glass For Part C, the results obtained are

Part Orange in almost its Se darkened, presented in Table 2.
A totality. appearance of
Extended internal cone. soot.
Part Bluish green in cone No change Table 2. Experience 2. Part C.
B internal and dark in some color. Test Observations
mantle Phosphorus took a long time to ignite.
internal cone the matchstick body burned first.
The stoichiometric reaction of the Phosphorus in the phosphorus was ignited
I immediately manto.
combustion of propane with oxygen is the
next It was observed that when placing a match in
the different parts of the flame, the temperature
C3H8(g)+ 5 O2(g) → 3 CO 2(g)+ 4 H2O(g)
in them is different. When they are lit
No waste is produced in it aside from immediately the phosphorus placed in the
the usual ones in any combustion. coat and take more time to put on
It was found that depending on the internal cone, it is shown that the temperature
proportions of oxygen (found in the the flame of the inner cone is smaller than the
air) and propane supplied to the lighter, are temperature of the mantle.
they produced llamas with different characteristics. Subsequently, the head of
By keeping the propane opening constant, another new and extinguished match on the mantle,
with the air windows closed, the entrance just above the bright tip and
the oxygen was stoichiometrically less than they observed the changes. The combustion
the propane, being in excess. The
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immediate from the head of the inserted match strongly bound electrons, do not get excited and
in the mantle check its high temperature. therefore, in the absence of excitement, there is no
relaxation and also no light emission.
Experience 2
The results of the staining of different Experience 3
shows to the flame with the air vents The results of this experience are
completely open of Parts A and B are reflected in Table 4:
shown in Table 3:
Table 4. Experience 3.
Table 3. Experience 2. Parts A and B. Sample Color and intensity Observations
from the flame
Sample Color and intensity Observations
of the llama Strontium chloride
Intense
2 red Dark
H2O Colorless No change was observed. KCl Weak violet Very pale
some. CuCl2 Intense green Emerald green
NaCl Intense orange Color change. CaCl2 Intense red Of course
Sodium bicarbonate
Intense3 orange Color change. Barium Chloride
Yellowish
2 green Of course
Same color as H3BO3 Green Of course
NaCl.
Sodium hydroxide
Intense orange Color change. All saline solutions of this
Same color as
NaCl. experience, except for H3BO3, they contain
HCl Colorless No change was observed the anion Cl- and it is also worth noting that all
some. the solutions emitted colors and intensities
NH4Cl Colorless No change was observed
some. different, because they contain metals
different in their composition. Each metal emits
The white of the a coloration distinct from the flame (Welcher and
experiment, which was the coloring to the Hahn, 1956).
call of distilled water. Taking into account
the target of the experiment was carried out Experience 4
other observations. The characteristics of Sample 11 were
The three saline solutions that contained the following:
the Na cation+namely NaCl, NaHCO3sodium hydroxide Granulated solid.
they presented the same color change to Light blue.
intense orange, with which it is deduced that to c) Crystallized.
this color appears, the cation is present It turned light green when it got wet.
No+ (Welcher and Hahn, 1956). This is due to The solution formed was light blue.
as Na is a metal and has bound electrons f) Presented a coloration green
weakly, these are susceptible to excitement intense emerald to the flame.
easily by absorbing the energy from the flame and Taking into account the results
relaxing by emitting light. obtained in Experience 3, when comparing the
For their part, the two remaining solutions, different colorations to the flame were found
HCl and NH4Cl, which presented the anion Cl- y that Sample 11 presented the same
the cations H+ y NH4+respectively, no characteristics of the CuCl sample2How
they presented changes in the coloration. To The metals are those that emit coloration to the
contain only non-metals and being their it is deduced that Sample 11 contains the

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 2+
copper cation It should be considered that method The metallic element present in the
flame coloration analysis does not allow Sample 11 is the cation Cu2+and there is no way
detect which non-metal is present in the to determine which is the non-metal anion of
composed. Therefore, techniques will be required this sample using this technique.
additional ones to fully identify the
composed.

Conclusions Bibliography
It is concluded that the Bunsen burner has Fernández, A. and F. García.
utility applications in analytical chemistry Laboratory Manual of Principles of
for the detection of the presence of metals in Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Faculty
compounds. of Sciences, Central University of
The flame emitted by the Bunsen burner Venezuela, Caracas.
it has the capabilities of being a source of Welcher, F. and R. Hahn. 1956. Semimicro
thermal energy without contaminating the samples Qualitative Analysis. Chapters 3 and 37.
that are analyzed in it. D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc.
The metals of a salt are the ions. Wikipedia, the encyclopedia free.
responsible for the color change of the Bunsen burner (Accessed 08/05/2016).
calls, due to the excitation processes and Unable to access the webpage.
relaxation. unsen