Why Does Potassium Give Off A Purple Flame In Flame Test? - Answers

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Anonymous

16y agoUpdated: 10/12/2024

Potassium gives off a lilac purple color due to the energy level configuration of the potassium atom. When heated the electrons become excited to higher levels of energy. When they "move" to a lower energy state, they give off energy in the form of light (photons). The color seen by your eye is a combination of certain specific colors (frequencies) of photons. It is the same as when you hear a musical chord. It is actually a combination of several different musical notes (frequencies).

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What color do you get when you burn potassium chloride?

A lila color, from potassium spectral lines.

What color flame test does the iodide solution give in flame test?

It is not the anions (e.g. iodide) that are responsible for the flame test color, rather the cations such as sodium ion, potassium ion and calcium ion give you different colors.

How do you test for sodium ions and potassium ions when both are present?

One way to test for sodium ions and potassium ions when both are present is to use flame tests. Each ion produces a unique colored flame when burned. Another method is to use ion-selective electrodes that can differentiate between sodium and potassium ions based on their specific affinity for the electrodes. Separation techniques such as ion exchange chromatography can also be used to separate and quantify sodium and potassium ions.

What color flame test does Potassium give with a cobalt glass?

Potassium gives a lilac or pale-violet flame test when viewed through a cobalt glass. The cobalt glass helps to filter out other colors from the flame, allowing the characteristic lilac color of potassium to become more visible.

What color does potassium give off when burned?

Potassium ions will emit visible light when excited, for example during a flame test. We see this as a lilac colour.

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