Question

you get to lab and your teacher has forgotten to label the flasks of chemicals shown. according to the lab instructions, one should be cuso₄, one should be srcl₂, and one should be kcl. what could you do to identify what chemical is in each flask? a find the mass of each one b look at the electron configuration c look at the orbital diagram d perform a flame test

Explanation:

• Option A: Finding the mass of each chemical doesn't directly identify the specific compounds (CuSO₄, SrCl₂, KCl) as different amounts could have similar masses, and mass alone isn't a unique identifier for these compounds.
• Option B: Looking at electron configuration is a theoretical concept for individual atoms, not a practical lab method to identify these compounds in flasks.
• Option C: Orbital diagrams are also theoretical for atomic structure and not a practical way to identify these compounds in a lab setting.
• Option D: Flame tests are a practical lab technique. Different metal ions (Cu²⁺, Sr²⁺, K⁺) produce characteristic flame colors (Cu²⁺ - greenish - blue, Sr²⁺ - red, K⁺ - lilac), so performing a flame test can help identify which flask contains which compound.

Answer:

D. perform a flame test