Flame photometry can be used for the measurement of elements which can easily be excited like Ca, K, Na, Ba, Cu etc. However due to low temperature of flame the elements like Fe can not be excited and hence not measured using Flame photometry.
Both flame emission and atomic absorption spectroscopy are analytical techniques used to determine the concentration of elements in a sample. The main similarity is that they both rely on the excitation of atoms in the sample to emit or absorb specific wavelengths of light. The main difference is that in flame emission spectroscopy, the intensity of emitted light is measured, while in atomic absorption spectroscopy, the amount of light absorbed by the atoms is measured.
Flame photometry is used in biological samples for measuring the concentration of ions like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It provides a rapid and accurate method for detecting the presence of these ions in samples such as blood, urine, and tissue extracts. This technique plays a crucial role in diagnosing and monitoring various health conditions by assessing the mineral balance in the body.
to identify an unknown sample by its emission spectrum
When a sample is aspirated into the flame in atomic absorption spectroscopy, the solvent evaporates, leaving the atoms in the sample in a gaseous state. These atoms are then heated in the flame, causing them to reach an excited state. As they return to their ground state, they emit light at characteristic wavelengths that are detected by the instrument to determine the concentration of the element in the sample.
The colors in the flame test depends on the specific emission lines of a chemical element.
flame photometry is a type of atomic EMISSION spectroscopy. The sample is excited (raised to a high temperature), causing the emission of light. the wavelength of the emitted light is a function of the energy of the excited electrons, so each element has a characteristic set of wavelengths. usually a single wavelength is detected and the intensity of the emission is used to calculate concentration. Atomic adsorption works in the reverse way. A light of a standard wavelength (a wavelength characteristic of the target element) is passed through a flame containing the unknown substance, and the concentration of the target element is determined by the reduction in the energy of this light as it passes through the flame. the light is adsorbed by the electrons in the target element, kicking them into a higher orbit or completely out of the atom, depending on the energy involved. basically, one method involves the emission of the energy as an excited electron kicks back down to a lower state, and the other involves the adsorption of energy as an electron is kicked up an energy state. Same basic principle-change in electron energy relates to light of a specified wavelength and the change in the amount of that light can be measured and converted to a concentration.
flame photometry involves the determination of concentration of alkali and alkaline earth metals present in a sample based on the radiation emitted by it when the sample is atomized to a flame
Examples: emission spectrometry, flame photometry, atomic absorption, etc.
Potassium ions produce a lilac flame in a flame emission photometer. The presence of potassium in a sample can be detected by observing this characteristic color emission when the sample is introduced into the flame.
Metal ions such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and strontium can be detected by flame emission spectrometry. When these elements are heated in a flame, they emit characteristic wavelengths of light that can be measured to identify and quantify their presence in a sample.
Sea water is diluted before flame photometry to reduce the salt content, which can interfere with the measurement of specific elements. The high salt concentration in sea water can lead to high background noise and inaccurate readings, so dilution is necessary to obtain accurate results for trace metal analysis.
Transition metals cannot be accurately determined by flame photometry because they typically have multiple oxidation states, leading to complex emission spectra that are difficult to interpret. Additionally, transition metals often form stable complexes with other compounds in the flame, further complicating the analysis. As a result, flame photometry is not suitable for the precise determination of transition metals, and other analytical techniques such as atomic absorption spectroscopy or inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy are more commonly used for their quantification.
Flame photometry is used in water analysis for determining the concentration of alkali metals. A liquid sample to be analysed is sprayed into a flame where the water evaporates, leaving the inorganic salts behind as a minute particles. The salts decompose into constituent atoms and become vaporised. The vapours containing the metal atoms are excited by the thermal energy of the flame and this causes the electrons to be raised to a higher energy level and they give off discrete amounts of radiant energy. The emitted radiation is passed through a prism which separates the various wavelengths so that the desired region can be isolated. And then a photocell and an amplifier is used to measure the intensity of the isolated radiation. The emission spectrum for each metal is different and its intensity depends on the concentration of atoms in the flame.
To prepare a sample of bread crumbs for flame photometry, first, dry the bread crumbs in an oven to remove moisture. Next, grind the dried crumbs into a fine powder to ensure uniformity. Then, digest a measured amount of the powdered sample in a suitable acid, such as hydrochloric acid, to extract the desired elements. Finally, dilute the digested solution to an appropriate concentration for analysis in the flame photometer.
When an alkali metal salt drawn into a non-luminous flame will ionise, absorb energy from the flame and then emit light of a characteristic wavelength as the excited atoms decay to the unexcited ground state. So,the intensity of emission is proportional to the concentration of the element in the solution. A photocell detects the emitted light and converts it to a voltage, which can be recorded. By this we can estimate the conc of Na.
· Analysis of industrial water, natural water for determining elements responsible for hard water (magnesium, barium, calcium etc.) is standard procedure in many laboratories. · In glass industry, flame photometry is used in determining of sodium, potassium, boron, lithium etc. · In cement industry, this method is used in estimation of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, as well as lithium. · Analysis of ash by flame photometer is routinely carried out in various industries for estimating alkali and alkaline earth metals as their oxides. · Flame photometry is extensively used in estimation of alkali-alkaline earth metals as well as other metals present in metallurgical products, catalysts, alloys etc. · Flame photometry has also been used in determination of certain metals like lead, manganese, in petroleum products like gasoline, lubricating oils and organic solvents.
Roland. Herrmann has written: 'Flammenphotometrie' -- subject(s): Flame photometry