Flame testing
Flame tests are a quick and inexpensive way of detecting some metal ions. They are an example of a Used to find out if a substance is present in a sample. An example of this type of analysis is the flame test. since they can identify a specific metal ion in a sample but do not tell us how much of it is present.
To carry out a flame test a wire made from platinum or nichrome is dipped in acid then into the sample. The sample on the wire is then held in a roaring (blue) Bunsen flame and colours are observed.
Some metals change the colour of a flame, allowing you to determine what metal it is
Not all metal ions produce a colour in the flame test. The colours of some that do are found in the SQA Data Booklet.
