[ineine]

Hi all,

I go this assignment asking us to investigate on why Lithium, Sodium and Potassium produces a coloured flame ( red, yellow and lilac) when under going a flame test.
I understand that heat being supplied to the elements, will rise the atoms of the elements from ground state to the excited state. As the atom does not stay long in as the excited state, i t will emit photons to return to the ground state.
THe photon is the light we see in the flame test. I also understand that the colour of each individual flame indicates the frequency of the visible test in the electromagnetic spectrum.
As the Lithium with a smaller quantum number of 2 and potassium with a bigger quatum number of 4.
Does the quantum number of the element affects the colour of the flame in the flame test?
please help

[Borek]

Does the quantum number of the element affects the colour of the flame in the flame test?

Color depends on the combinatoin of all quantum numbers, and there is no simple dependence. You have to solve Schroedinger equation for excited and non-excited atom. Not an easy thing to do.

Simple/strict dependence between photon energy and principal quantum number exists only for one-electron ions (plus hydrogen atom).

[ineine]

So how do i give a simple explaination for the individual colour of the element go through the flame test