Chemistry Lab essays

Chemistry Lab essays When comparing the results of the flame tests for solid sodium nitrate, solid sodium chloride and the sodium chloride solution, they all gave off the same colour. These results indicate that it does not matter which state the compound is in; it will still have the same properties. It also indicates that the wavelength was the same for sodium chloride and the sodium nitrate. Which means that it is the metal (sodium) that is responsible the new colour, not the non-metal (nitrate or chloride). Potassium chloride and sodium chloride gave off similar colours orange. They were hard to tell apart by viewing them with the naked eye, but because they are different metals it is known that the shade in colour (orange) would be slightly different. It looked as though sodium chloride gave off a slightly lighter orange almost yellow. In this experiment cobalt glass was not used. All of the compounds were chlorides except for one because the non-metal is not responsible for the colour change. Only one example of the difference between chloride and nitrate was needed, which proved that it is the metal that is creating the colour. If all of the other compounds containing chloride were tested again when containing nitrate, they would all give off the same colour as they did before. Two sodium compounds were used because the sodium chloride was more difficult to pick up with the Nichrome Wire than the sodium nitrate was. Since the colour of the flame depends on the metal, then whatever non-metal that makes the experiment the easiest should be used. In this case nitrate made it easier, so it was used. Furthermore, two sodium compounds were used to prove the point that it is the sodium creating the colour, not the non-metal (chloride or nitrate). ...