Sodium Flame Colour (1 Viewer)

[nimrod_dookie]

I know the basics about flame colour for Sodium metal when heated on its own but I am wondering if there is any difference in the explanation when its a Sodium compound eg. (NaCl).

 

[Casmira]

as far as I know it has to be in ion state, ie. Sodium nitrate in water has ioniosed Na+ floating and they are the ones that bounce electron shells that give off that red light, in its own compound however (pure NaCl) it wont do this ;D

 

[Dreamerish*~]

I know the basics about flame colour for Sodium metal when heated on its own but I am wondering if there is any difference in the explanation when its a Sodium compound eg. (NaCl).

Well, when you perform a flame test, you dip a sterilized platinum wire into a solution of the metal ion. Pure sodium metal doesn't exist as a solution, so no, there is no difference.

 

[Jumbo Cactuar]

When Sodium burns it is forms the ionic peroxide. As such the test is no different for 0 or +I oxidation states.

The only counter argument is when you have metal cations tightly bound to proteins etc. due to the energy absorbed by the protein structure (since it has sooo many bonds more easily broken).