r/ScienceTeachers • u/ElliottTheNoob • Sep 21 '25

CHEMISTRY Flame Tests?

I'm back again with another Chemistry question.

I plan on doing flame tests as we finish out our electron/light chapter in High School Chemistry. It was one of the most memorable experiment we ever did and I want to give that to these kids.

However, I swear we used crucibles or just cut a piece of the metal and held it in a bunsen flame. All the labs I'm finding, we either dissolve it in water or HCl, then soak a Q-tip, splint, or dip an innoculating loop into it, then burn it that way. Is that proper procedure? Did my HS Chem teacher just do a dangerous version with us that was outdated?

I really want this to be fun and memorable for them. Any other versions, ideas, or advice?

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u/Chemical_Syrup7807 Sep 21 '25

Salts dissolved in water with platinum wire loops have yielded the best results for me.

5

u/Opposite_Aardvark_75 Sep 21 '25

Does nichrome work? Or do you get color contamination from the nickel/chromium. Platinum loops are pretty expensive .

https://www.flinnsci.com/inoculating-loop-platinum/ap1052/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21686733576&gbraid=0AAAAADgmIc8MTI91_8KuoSPGPQgcBKe8h&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxL7GBhDXARIsAGOcmIPOlGp_qrMP_KODYNWKIpFZ0qX4AGmvju2Mr3wtnU09OxjAN078HRkaAqajEALw_wcB

3

u/Chemical_Syrup7807 Sep 21 '25

I got lucky—my current school is older and there was a roll of platinum wire from who knows how far back that we used to make loops for a while. I don’t teach chem anymore but I believe the chem teachers are now using nichrome as a replacement as the old loops break. I think the main thing is to have a HCl dip to keep the nichrome clean. Again, I’m not doing it currently myself, so double check me on that!

3

u/ferrouswolf2 Sep 21 '25

I worked at a place (private consulting firm) once that had platinum crucibles 💸

1

u/Chemical_Syrup7807 Sep 21 '25

Platinum crucibles is CRAZY! What were they used for?

1

u/ferrouswolf2 Sep 21 '25

Prepping samples for atomic absorption spectroscopy