Chemical AnalysisDiagram

Flame Colours Summary

Part of Flame Tests · GCSE GCSE Chemistry revision

This diagram covers Flame Colours Summary within Flame Tests for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Flame Tests in Chemical Analysis for GCSE Chemistry with 22 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 3 of 13 in this topic. Focus on the labels, the relationships between parts, and the explanation that turns the diagram into an exam-ready answer.

Topic position

Section 3 of 13

Practice

22 questions

Recall

15 flashcards

Six Bunsen burner flames showing characteristic metal ion colours: Lithium crimson, Sodium yellow, Potassium lilac, Calcium orange-red, Copper blue-green, Barium yellow-green.

Figure 1: Characteristic flame colours — left to right: Li⁺ crimson, Na⁺ yellow, K⁺ lilac, Ca²⁺ orange-red, Cu²⁺ blue-green, Ba²⁺ yellow-green. Learn the exact colour name for each.

Flame Colours Summary

  • Lithium (Li⁺): Crimson red
  • Sodium (Na⁺): Orange-yellow
  • Potassium (K⁺): Lilac/purple
  • Calcium (Ca²⁺): Orange-red (brick red)
  • Copper (Cu²⁺): Blue-green (green)
  • Barium (Ba²⁺): Yellow-green (apple green)

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Flame Tests. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Practice Questions for Flame Tests

Which type of wire is used to carry out a flame test?

  • A. Nichrome wire
  • B. Copper wire
  • C. Iron wire
  • D. Platinum wire
1 markfoundation

Explain why different metal ions produce different colours in flame tests.

3 marksstandard

Quick Recall Flashcards

What is a flame test?
A test used to identify metal ions by observing the characteristic flame color they produce when heated in a Bunsen burner flame
Flame color for sodium ions (Na⁺)?
ORANGE/YELLOW - persistent yellow-orange flame, very intense and bright

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