Nichrome Wire Loop Flame Test
You also need basic markers to label each and a beaker to hold each solution.
Nichrome wire loop flame test. The loop must be cleaned between tests. Heat the wire strongly in the flame to clean it. Ideal for science prep rooms and laboratories. To do a flame test you need nichrome wire loop 50 ml hydrochloric acid 6 0 m lab burner and solutions to test.
Dip a platinum or nichrome wire into a watch glass containing the hydrochloric acid take care. Carrying out a flame test practical details clean a platinum or nichrome a nickel chromium alloy wire by dipping it into concentrated hydrochloric acid and then holding it in a hot non luminous bunsen flame. If a burst of color is produced the loop is not sufficiently clean. With nichrome flame loops a trace of orange flame is usually visible when heated in a bunsen flame.
Nichrome wire has such a high melting point that the relatively low temperature of the burning flame won t drive any of the ni or cr. Either platinum reel or nichrome wire loops can be used. Nichrome wire is often used as an alternative to platinum for flame testing. The best flame test loops are made from platinum wire but is usually far too expensive for most schools to use.
First you get your solutions and label them with a maker on their containers. Test the cleanliness of the loop by inserting it into a gas flame. For inserting into a needle holder for flame testing. We offer nichrome wire with loops at great prices for uk schools.
Moisten the wire in the acid and dip the. The clean loop is dipped in either a powder or solution of an ionic metal salt. To perform the flame test. Flame tests are usually by far the easiest way of identifying group 1 compounds to see which metal is present.
The classictechnique is to use a clean wire loop made out of platinum or nickel chromium nichrome wire dip the loop into the powder or solution to be tested and then placed into the hottest portion of a flame. Flame testing can be used to identify the presence of a small number of metal ions in a compound not all metal ions give flame colours. Dip a clean wire loop into a solid sample of the compound being tested put the loop into the edge of the blue flame from a bunsen burner observe and record the flame. The loops can be made of twisted nichrome wire fixed into the end of a suitable handle usually a length of wooden dowel.