Background Research

Big picture: Electrons, energy level, flame, electromagnetic spectrum

Principles and/or concepts: This experiment covers a concept similar to the ones that Ernest Rutherford and Niels Bohr created. They both believed that electrons move around the nucleus in circular orbits. Niels Bohr also explained the movement of electrons. When an element is exposed to heat, the energy levels of one or more electrons might change. If the energy released after the changes in energy levels is in the form of visible light, the observer will be able to see a certain color, which is unique to each element. It also covers the concept of the electromagnetic spectrum. We are only able to see a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is visible light. The color violet indicates the highest amount of energy and red indicates the lowest amount of energy (an element that emits violet light releases more energy than an element that emits red light).

Key words and quantities: Energy level, electrons, energy orbits, energy levels (n)

Niels Bohr's atomic model:

Ernest Rutherford's atomic model