• Best of luck to the class of 2024 for their HSC exams. You got this!
    Let us know your thoughts on the HSC exams here
  • YOU can help the next generation of students in the community!
    Share your trial papers and notes on our Notes & Resources page
MedVision ad

Can the fact that magnesium produces a bright light in a flame be used to identify it? (1 Viewer)

wizzkids

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2016
Messages
330
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
1998
I think you are referring to combustion of Mg, which gives a very bright white light. No, the white light from burning Mg in oxygen is not a line spectrum. It is a continuous spectrum given off by the hot particles of MgO, which emit a broad continuous spectrum. The characteristic line emission spectrum of Mg is very faint. Here is a graph of the spectrum given off by burning magnesium:spectrum.jpg
The sharp lines are the atomic emissions of Mg, superimposed on the broad continuous spectrum. Burning magnesium was once used in photography, for "flash photography" precisely because it gives off a bright white continuous spectrum.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top