Intro and guiding question: electrons are located in regions outside the nucleus of an atom called orbitals, which represent the potential position of an atom at any given moment in time. when electrons are affected by energy from an outside source, they absorb it and temporarily jump to a higher energy level. when electrons release that energy, it’s emitted as electromagnetic radiation, which can be given off in the form of visible light at certain nanometers in wavelength. metal ions give distinct colors that allow chemists to identify elements with a flame test and spectroscopy. my task is to use a flame test and a spectroscope to determine the emission line spectrum of 6 different powders. i will then determine the identity of 3 unknown powders using a flame test, a spectroscope, and the emission line spectra from the 6 known powders. the guiding question of this investigation is, what are the identities of the unknown powders?