AQA · Chemistry · 8462
GCSE Chemistry (AQA): Flame Emission Spectroscopy
Topic 8 — Chemical Analysis. Generated from the caption track of Cognito's lesson video "GCSE Chemistry - Flame Emission Spectroscopy (Flame Photometry) (2026/27 exams)"; each card deep-links to the moment in the video it came from. Lesson 8.06 of Cognito's AQA GCSE Chemistry (Triple) course (Higher tier), filed under AQA Chemistry 8462. Teaching by Cognito — https://cognitoedu.org/coursesubtopic/c2-gcse-aqa-h-t_8.06.
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What feature of a line spectrum allows a metal ion to be identified?
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Its unique pattern of wavelengths (lines) — every metal ion gives a different pattern.
Which instrument detects the individual wavelengths in flame emission spectroscopy?
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A spectroscope.
What does it mean that instrumental methods are highly sensitive?
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They can detect even very tiny amounts of a substance.
Flame emission spectroscopy is also known as ?.
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flame photometry
How are the metal ions in an unknown sample identified from its line spectrum?
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By comparing it with standard line spectra of known metal ions and matching the lines.
What does the line spectrum of a mixture of metal ions look like?
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The line spectra of all the ions present combined, containing every one of their wavelengths.
What is the main drawback of instrumental methods compared with manual tests?
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They require expensive machines, whereas manual tests are basic and cheap.
Why do heated metal ions produce characteristic colours?
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Each metal ion emits light of wavelengths specific to that ion, so the colour seen identifies it.
Why can a simple flame test fail on a sample containing several metal ions?
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The colours of the different ions mix, so no single identifiable colour is seen.
Why are instrumental methods of analysis fast?
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They can usually be automated, so a human is not needed throughout the analysis.
What does the intensity of the lines in a line spectrum indicate?
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The concentration of that ion in the solution — brighter lines mean a higher concentration.
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