Lab Report 2
Sodium in Water & Flame Test
Rui Li
Sep 29, 2011

Purpose
Metal in the Water
The purpose of this experiment is to observe and rationalize the tends of experiment.
Flame test
To observe the flame color when different metal burns. The atoms of the elements are excited and emit light, giving the flame a distinct color.
Experimental Details
Metal in the Water
Put the lithium, sodium and potassium into water, and then add phenolphthalein.
Flame test
Part A
Clean the glasses, weight out 0.1g and add methanol into the watch glass. Metal Chloride | Flame Color | NaCl | Yello | KCl | Light Purpal | LiCl | Dark Red | CuCl2 | Blue | SrCl2 | Red Pink |
Part B
Burn the salt. Metal Salt | Flame Color | MgSO4 | No Change | LiNO3 | Dark Red | NaNo3 | Yello | SrCl2 | Dark Pink | CuCl2 | Blue Green |
Part C
Spay the metal on the Bunsen burner. Metal Chloride | Flame Color | NaCl | Yello | KCl | Light Purpal | LiCl | Dark Red | SrCl2 | Red Pink | CuCl2 | Light Blue |

Calculations
Metal in the Water
Not Applied.
Flame test
Not Applied.

Results
Metal in the Water
When observing the cut the length of lithium wire it looks dull, that is because the lithium has been expose in the air for a while. It supposes to be shining when freshly cut. When placing the lithium into water, the metal ball moved around with small bubble attached around. When placing the sodium into water, the metal move with white smoke, it swum very fast, with bobble around it. When placing the potassium into water, it reacts extremely violent, there are fire with it, the flame is pink-purple, and it solve very quickly. When adding the phenolphthalein into the resulting aqueous solutions turn into pink after the metal had react with water.
Flame test
Not Applied.

Discussion
Metal in the Water
The potassium reacted most violent, followed by sodium, and then lithium.

Conclusions and Summary
Metal in the Water
The trend of the relative relativities is followed the order the relative placement of the metals in the periodic table, the one near the bottom is more easy to alter with water. The potassium reaction produce pink color flames. The reaction forced atom to lose the electron. The reduction potential is follow the order of potassium is less than the sodium, sodium require less than lithium. The rubidium and cesium behavior similar to the potassium, but it should be more violently.