Learn the first letter of each metal and its colour:
"Little Naughty Kids Catch Cats, Bright Ones!"
Li = Red | Na = Yellow | K = Lilac | Ca = Orange-red | Cu = Green | Ba = Yellow-green
Or remember it as: "LiRed, NaYellow, KLilac, CaOrange-red, CuGreen, BaYellow-green"
For the method: "Dip, Heat, Dip, Sample, Flame" — always clean before and after.
Quick Check: A flame test on an unknown compound produces an orange-yellow colour. Name the metal ion present.
Sodium ion (Na⁺). The orange-yellow colour is the characteristic flame colour for sodium.
This memory aid covers Memory Aid 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 9 of 13 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.
Practice questions for Flame Tests
Which type of wire is used to carry out a flame test?
Explain why different metal ions produce different colours in flame tests.