Flame Test Colors

This video shows you the flame test colors for the following metal salts:
Calcium chloride: Orange
Copper chloride: Blue green
Lithium chloride: Red orange
Sodium chloride: Yellow
Potassium chloride: Light violet
Strontium chloride: Red
Iron (III) chloride: White with sparks
Barium chloride: Pale yellow
Just like every person’s unique finger print, the color of light emitted by a metal when heated in a flame is unique to that metal. The emission colors can therefore be used to identify specific metals. When the metal salts are placed in the flame the electrons in each atom absorb energy. This energy is used to move the electrons from their ground state to an excited state. When the electrons move back to a lower energy level they emit the absorbed energy as a particle of light called a photon.
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[@alexshanto7285]

I want to kindly request you, please upload experimental videos as much as possible. We, students living in 3rd world countries, depend on KZbin for higher education.These kinds of videos both clear doubt and increase our zeal for chemistry as well as education. Huge Respect.👏♥️

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks for your nice comment. Are there any specific types of experimental videos you would like to see? Best wishes.

[@alexshanto7285]

@@stepbystepscience Thank you so much ,sir for asking me about my interest. I am new to your channel.If I face any problems regarding experimental issue, I will definitely inform you. May Allah grant you a good health and peaceful life.

[@test_miracles]

@@alexshanto7285 You too,where are you from? I'm from Bangladesh

[@r.infotech9936]

@@stepbystepscience can you help me out sir ...? Actually I'm trying to make colours candle with the help of this chemical .. can this possible as per your knowledge . If you able to upload then I'm very thankful to you sir ❤️👌🏼

[@kimyeontan1422]

hey what are the chemical formula of each of the flame tests?

[@annabandana9889]

I had chem class during Covid shutdowns, and we used online lab simulations. This was really cool!

[@stepbystepscience]

nothing better than the real thing.

[@RupaGupta]

Even we had chem classes during lockdown but we had to attend school for practicals, i did this today and the colours were so pretty, all the while we tried to get them look like that on the camera but couldnt- so i came here to recap

[@MadScientist267]

@@RupaGupta They won't and this is [just] one reason virtual sucks lol Cameras and screens can't see nor accurately reproduce all of the lines in the spectrum... Where they end up missing or attenuated, the color will be distorted

[@cursedheavy8860]

Just add magnesem to go blind!

[@JoakimfromAnka]

Or zirconium, or hafnium or yttrium. :D

[@thegreenskull4244]

No I did it last Tuesday nothing happened lol

[@yeasstt]

Magnesium doesn't emit any visible light in a flame test. You need a lot more energy to excite it

[@BuckFudweiser]

Yay!

[@reptile6059]

Uranium ?

[@heh.wantsomewine]

I've been searching for this video so tysm for making this! 🤗

[@stepbystepscience]

Glad you found it and thanks for watching!

[@jacksoncamania7366]

thank you for sharing. This video is such a great help for us teachers and students.

[@stepbystepscience]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the nice comment.

[@CarlottaV]

This is so amazing! thank you

[@stepbystepscience]

You're so welcome! Glad you liked it.

[@julius6937]

Pretty cool, I actually did this exact same thing yesterday at university, though your colors were a lot nicer then mine. Probably because you used much more of the salts than I did...

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks, glad you liked it!

[@MadScientist267]

It's also worthy of mention that the camera doesn't quite catch the correct hues for any of this because of how the colors are generated. Cameras and screens have blind spots in the spectrum that distort the coloring, to me they look a bit more saturated on camera than to the eye. Edit: maybe "pure" is a better word. Definitely different.

[@23ilfred]

I hear these are vital to the construction of LIGHTSABERS.

[@ItamiPlaysGuitar]

💙Copper Chloride & Potassium Chloride 💜 are So Satisfying, thanks 4 the video

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks, glad you liked it!

[@TAWITIBoyAllAround]

Can i use this for fireworks stars composition?

[@what-jani-ano6668]

Strontium, Copper, and Potassium look so pretty

[@stepbystepscience]

Indeed, glad you like them!

[@kartikey5665]

I have studied in my textbook that Barium salts on flame test give apple green colour but what I have seen is golden yellow , similar to that of Sodium salt

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, I may have used the wrong form of barium

[@vyasrajeshmvyasrajeshm2780]

​​​​​​@@stepbystepscience_This is same for me in my _*_college laboratory_*_ Sir berium salt not give easley green flame & borate salt also give green flame Therefore create so much confusion in berium & borate ion , but your videos so helpful to prediction cation by flame test you're (respected sir) so inspire me_

[@vyasrajeshmvyasrajeshm2780]

​@@stepbystepscience Sir berium really give green flame it possible ?

[@JapanKarateDoKenseikan]

Superb !!!! Thankyou very much !

[@stepbystepscience]

Most welcome!

[@new_vibes.]

class concept cleared 🤩🤩

[@stepbystepscience]

Wonderful!

[@kjworldlyrics]

Love the video it’s very useful and cool! For KCl is the colour lilac and peach or just lilac?

[@stepbystepscience]

I think it's more lilac than peach.

[@self_learnscience]

Beautiful colours

[@stepbystepscience]

Thank you so much 😊

[@marleyx7]

That’s really cool thx ✨✨.

[@stepbystepscience]

Glad you liked it!

[@RupaGupta]

We had chem classes during lockdown but we had to attend school for practicals, i did this today and the colours were so pretty, all the while we tried to get them look like that on the camera but couldnt- so i came here to recap

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, the colours are very nice and not artificial ingredients.

[@daniyalyusufshaikh5260]

In barium it must be green colour na. As per the NCERT Barium (Apple Green)

[@siaciabroos9373]

Really nice video. What do you use to hold the salts in the flame? We normally use a piece of iron, but this looks better.

[@stepbystepscience]

It is just a Q-tip that is first dipped water to get it wet and then dipped in the solid salt. Works well, you just have to get the ones with the paper stick part, the plastics one melt and get messy. Good luck.

[@MadScientist267]

Better to use something that doesn't contain any colorant qualities of its own... In the case of the Q tips, carbon, impurities in water etc.. but it works for a quick demo

[@jayarajdanappagoudar9553]

Thankyou sir for this interesting video

[@stepbystepscience]

You are most welcome.

[@muhammadabdulla5224]

Very Interesting Sir...!

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks, glad you liked it.

[@helenetrstrup4817]

The copper chloride flame is pretty. 😊

[@stepbystepscience]

It is!

[@RiceTrees]

hi! I'm not sure if you respond to comments, but which one of these sparked when being burned by the bunsen burner? Also is it only calcium chloride that looks orange or are there other salts that would also produce an orange color?

[@The_BeAsT1510]

The iron chloride one has sparked

[@stepbystepscience]

That's correct.

[@marahalqaseer1862]

Amazing 😍

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks 🤗

[@_joshgamer353_6]

i did this in science club and i am now learning it in my lesson today

[@stepbystepscience]

Awesome!

[@raven-zf1pm]

This video helped me a lot, thx

[@stepbystepscience]

Glad to hear it!

[@fishii8237]

Copper chloride looks amazing man

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks!

[@mranonymous2944]

Strontium and cu are amazing 😍😍

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, they are all very pretty.

[@chandrikadissanayake814]

Wonderful

[@stepbystepscience]

Thank you!

[@ssharma_2008]

Wao!!!💥💫 Very Beautiful...!!! Does BaCl2 not give Green colour??? Also ;) Thank you for this video!!! 🚀 It helped me a lot..💥💥💫💫

[@stepbystepscience]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jarnobravenboer7089]

ok, i agree

[@-k8850]

this video is amazing 1st time i saw the different color fire, Which color of fire have more heat?

[@stepbystepscience]

Blue and white are a higher temperature, red is lower temperature.

[@ibimsdaemil7960]

I've done these myself and I got completely different results from calcium and barium. Barium was a beautiful green, almost like boron and calcium was more red than orange. The orange calcium flame might be a result of your camera, Í've seen cameras turn the bright red into orange before but I have no clue what happened to your barium. And I also have one more question: Can you actually see the emmited light from iron in such a "cold" flame or is it just glowing particles? What I've been told is that you need way more heat to get the iron electrons into an excited state.

[@stepbystepscience]

The barium is a problem because I used a hydrated form of barium so in the video you do not see the typical apple greem color. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

[@ibimsdaemil7960]

​@@stepbystepscience Thank you, I understand and big thumbs-up for replying so quickly, even on a video from 3 years ago! This is not something you see quite often on youtube.

[@seanzhao-ps5gp]

Can you create videos with coloured fire using some other compounds like Lead and Indium compounds?

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, the color depends on the metal, and some you may not want to burn. Could be toxic, like lead.

[@test_miracles]

Very cool

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks, glad you think so.

[@venkatakrishnachary]

So very helpful

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks. Glad it was helpful!

[@itstemmy]

AWESOME

[@stepbystepscience]

Thank you!

[@legendaryexperiments7003]

Our teacher suggested this for chemistry project

[@NikhoPrasetyoPratama]

is there any video about step by step doing it... also spec for that blue fire :3 what gas do you use.. anyway great video thanks

[@stepbystepscience]

Sorry, no, but I could make a video with a more step by step explanation. I believe the gas we have is propane.

[@anithamary4432]

We can use bleaching powder to get blue flame

[@gitanjalimuduli1034]

Thank you sir

[@stepbystepscience]

You're welcome and all the best

[@aryansinha4992]

Is there a flame test for Fe2+ as well?? If so could you please show it??

[@stepbystepscience]

There probably is but I cannot show it right now, sorry.

[@aryansinha4992]

@@stepbystepscience It's fine, I had an argument about it with an exam where they claimed it doesn't infact give a flame test so I was just looking for evidence that it does. Stack exchange told me there isn't really a flame test for fe2+, instead the observation we get is due to some sodium impurities. End of the day I wasn't completely sure either way and I had no means of confirming it practically myself so I set out to yt for help. At this point it's just a curiosity and I'm pretty sure I'll get all the means to conduct it practically in a few months time so thanks for the reply!

[@asadansari001ansari7]

Thankyou so much sir

[@stepbystepscience]

Most welcome

[@shanko199]

Where do you get your strontium chloride and what brand ? I purchased some and the flames are more orange.. I need that deep red 😮‍💨🙏🏽 Please

[@stepbystepscience]

I teach in Berlin Germany and I think most of our stuff comes from the Czech Republic. When I taught in the US, I always ordered from Flinn Scientific. I recommend them.

[@miner_splash995]

I did something like this today in lab for chemistry!!

[@stepbystepscience]

cool!

[@raqiamalik9419]

very cool and pretty all flame test but according to me the most beautiful flame test color is potassium chloride is pink🤩🤩🤩

[@stepbystepscience]

Interesting!

[@raqiamalik9419]

@@stepbystepscience thanks

[@anotherbrokencoffeemachine]

Hey! Lovely experiment. I did this experiment in my class some time ago and got these: Lithium Chloride : pink Sodium Chloride : yellow Potassium Chloride: purple Copper Chloride : blue/green Calcium Chloride: : dark orange Barium Chloride : bright green Strontium : red would these still be right? If i did these as an exam practical and did these I wouldn't lose marks right? Anyway, awesome video!!

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, the barium I used was a hydrated form so I give a different color.

[@anotherbrokencoffeemachine]

@@stepbystepscience Got it. Thanks!

[@humerajunaid4681]

Can we use any other rod in place of platinum or nichrome wire?

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, we just use Q-tips, just get the ones that are all paper. Work just fine.

[@kissasantiago9682]

What is the right answer to identify the substance by saying copper or copper chloride? What does it have chloride is it because of the HCl?

[@stepbystepscience]

They are not pure elements, they are the salts of the element such as NaCl or CuCl2 and KCl, but the color comes from the metal not the Cl. Does that help?

[@IITBOMBAY-km1hj]

Why didn't we get grassy green color for flame test of Barium? It's given in my textbook. In the video, it was yellow.

[@stepbystepscience]

I used hydrated barium which does not produce the green color. Sorry for any confusion.

[@cookiescream548]

What about HCl?

[@unchz]

I'm only here to choose my lightsaber...😄

[@MysteriousMan_1]

Prepping for chem paper 2 on friday.

[@stepbystepscience]

Good luck!

[@nasmugdoge6538]

Nice.

[@stepbystepscience]

Thx!

[@kuchipoo2057]

Barium gives apple green color on flame test but here it's showing golden yellow. How is it possible?

[@kavindu_perera]

I was wondering the same lol.

[@stepbystepscience]

It could be that I am using a hydrating form of barium, or my phone is not showing the correct color.

[@DanSmith27]

Would it be possible to make this into a paste like formula?

[@stepbystepscience]

To burn, then yes.

[@abiendoh]

Is barium chloride produces a greenish flame?

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, I use a hydrated form of barium for this video so the color is different. Sorry for any confusion.

[@hannie_3-wj2rj]

What would happen if you used the same Q-tip to test all the salt samples? btw, great video! :D

[@stepbystepscience]

Good question! You would get a lot of pretty colors or all of them mixed together. Try it!

[@hannie_3-wj2rj]

Oh wow! Thanks for the reply! 😄@@stepbystepscience

[@pranjalbarure571]

I think bacl2 gives apple green colour. Right?

[@kimyeontan1422]

hey what are the chemical formula of each of the flame tests?

[@hhn5200]

the beauty of chemistry

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes!!

[@jitinverma4248]

Sir can you please tell why barium didn't imparted apple green colour because in our books it's written that Ba+2 imparts apple green

[@stepbystepscience]

It's because I used a different form of barium chloride, it was the only one available to me. Sorry for any confusion.

[@jitinverma4248]

@@stepbystepscience Ok sir thanks for telling no need to apologise ☺️

[@shaurya1810]

beautiful🥰🤩

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes they are.

[@LabibaBinteWali]

woah! Feels great to see the youtube version of textbooks haha

[@stepbystepscience]

Glad you liked it!

[@irishdelacruz3419]

How to determine the unknown element in a substance using sa flame test?

[@stepbystepscience]

compare it to on of the known colors.

[@TELUGU_GAMING_YT_7]

Wow❤

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks.

[@dido1803]

Cool show. What chemical that would make it chloride?

[@stepbystepscience]

Chlorine makes them chlorides.

[@devikap.r4084]

barium has apple green flame right

[@Mrjutt492]

Pale green 👀

[@Mariana40058]

Grassy green...

[@user-be1qf1xw2d]

Yellow green

[@Spandanshah]

Maybe green flame is of barium

[@jamshediqbal2228]

next time when you do experiment please provide us with details

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, this video is mostly to just show the pretty and amazing colors from the metal salts.

[@sangeethacs9728]

Nice

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks

[@sharanya_anoop]

Isn't Barium supposed to be pale/apple green? What happened to it?

[@stepbystepscience]

There can be a slight variation in the colors.

[@Marble_Pie]

Hi Sharanya, you are correct here. If the Barium chloride was 100% pure, then yes, it would’ve certainly certainly burned with a green flame (just like Boron does also). The Barium chloride used here definitely had sodium contamination (which it is very sensitive to because barium ions can be easily overpowered) and therefore did not burn with a green flame characteristic of barium salts.

[@kousthubhalrao6740]

Doesn't barium salt give green colour? It didn't give in the video.

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, I think I used a hydrated form.

[@kousthubhalrao6740]

@@stepbystepscience oh ok

[@katrielramasilaban1476]

strontium shows a very good colour

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, it is very beautiful!

[@chandrikadissanayake814]

😍😍

[@Shaduc]

nice

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks!

[@rl3265]

What is the substance tested?

[@stepbystepscience]

They are given in the video.

[@Thereelsboys0707]

Metal chloride is used bcz of their volatile nature increases intensity of flame test ... and metal chloride prepared by using conc.hcl 😊

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes

[@mehnazmukhtar4431]

Thnku❤

[@stepbystepscience]

Welcome!

[@kimyeontan1422]

hey what are the chemical formula of each of the flame tests?

[@stepbystepscience]

They are just the chloride salts of each metal, so for example strontium chloride is SrCl2 and sodium chloride is NaCl, etc.

[@kimyeontan1422]

@@stepbystepscience so there is no chemical equation?

[@mandysyoutubething]

That was pretty neat but i think different video song would've made it better.

[@stepbystepscience]

Ok, thanks for the feedback

[@kahirie6275]

gorgeous, my teacher sent me to this video lol

[@stepbystepscience]

Thanks for the visit!

[@thesnakehuntervenom1363]

we are passing all the exams with this

[@stepbystepscience]

Fantastic, glad to hear it!

[@BoxedByGlinz]

mooie mucike

[@stepbystepscience]

I will assume that is a compliment.

[@tejamadana8102]

Barium is apple green?

[@stepbystepscience]

Green is copper chloride.

[@Marble_Pie]

If the Barium chloride was pure, then yes, it would’ve burned with a green flame like Boron also does. The Barium chloride used here had sodium contamination (which it is very sensitive to) and therefore did not burn green like it was supposed to do so.

[@abdul408]

Shouldn't BaCl2 be green?

[@JoakimfromAnka]

My thoughts too!

[@aradhanabhola7549]

Exactly!!

[@gustertransparent6070]

can you please tell me the colour of each element

[@stepbystepscience]

The colors are hard to describe in words.

[@raj8104]

You missed "SOKAY KKAVNI"

[@gauravpratapsingh.]

I guess with barium it should give 💚💚

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, I used a different form of barium chloride.

[@chemistrylearning1190]

Barium salt is replaced with some other chemical. Barium gives green flame

[@stepbystepscience]

yes, I think you're right.

[@Hamza-B3]

Barium is supposed to be apple green? 1:21

[@stepbystepscience]

I may have used the wrong form of barium

[@SW_Martin]

Pozdrav do nastavnickata Hemija

[@stepbystepscience]

Greetings to you too!

[@werallgnnadieintheend]

1:22 But my book says barium gives pale or grassy green color

[@stepbystepscience]

Yes, I used a hydrated form of barium. Sorry for the confusion.

[@adityaverma5989]

Thanks to lkm sir for sending me this video 🎉

[@stepbystepscience]

Welcome!

[@biggyb50]

This how they made the “Canada” smoke in the USA

[@stepbystepscience]

I don't think so, but maybe.

[@Bendytrio]

Can’t tell if copper chlorine is green or blue

[@stepbystepscience]

I would say more green than blue.

[@danielmurray5597]

It's blue-green

[@Rahul_Singh1729]

It's green flame with blue center

[@SergamingPlayz]

this is something i would do in mincraft education edition

[@stepbystepscience]

sounds like fun.

[@radharavindran8609]

Barium is actually supposed to be in an apple green colour😊

[@stepbystepscience]

I think I used a hydrated from of the barium salt. Sorry.

[@kfcffc6129]

Can i ask what are the substance tested?

[@gustavofring271]

Its in the video simply check the bottom corner you should see the name of the substance For Ex: Sodium Chloride/NaCl

[@gustavofring271]

May i ask do you know maam Valenzuela?

[@marlindadewi7273]

0:26

[@stepbystepscience]

What about it?

[@otakuartistly]

I'm here bc my Physical science teacher linked this video. woah, that's interesting! Who's came here bc of their teacher?

[@stepbystepscience]

Glad your teacher recommends this colourful video!