Flame Test

In a flame test,can two different colours be observed one after another?Basically, can an electron jump more than once to a higher energy state?

4 Answers

337
Sayan Sinha ·

Electron continuously jumps up to a higher energy level and comes back. Electrons keep jumping to and fro continuously, that's why you continuously see the colour. If it would have jumped once, then only one ray would have been emitted.

You cannot see two colours because the energy from the flame makes electrons move up to a fixed energy state. If you could make the electrons move to some higher energy state, may be some other form of electromagnetic wave (or some other colour) would be emitted. But, you cannot do it as it requires tremendous amount of energy.

Hope you understand...

119
Vinayak Agrawal ·

What if I continue heating the metal?

337
Sayan Sinha ·

No. Even if you continue heating the metal, you will never be able to give such a high amount of energy so as to make the electrons jump up and down to and from a higher energy state.

119
Vinayak Agrawal ·

Thanks.

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