FLAME TESTS JOSEPHI. OSER, SIMON GRATZ HIGHSCHOOL, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA I n showing the characteristic colors imparted t o flames by salts of various metals, it is time-wasting and annoying t o have t o clean carefully the platinum wire before each test. One will save time and get more satisfactory results by making a set of bottles each containing a solution of the pure salt t o he tested. Replace the ordinary glass stopper of each bottle with a singly perforated rubber stopper. Through the perforation passes a glass tube or rod, in one end of which is sealed a platinum wire. Thus each platinum wire is used with but one solution and does not became contaminated. Small reagent bottles (two-inch diameter) may be used and placed in holes drilled one inch deep in a block of wood two inches thick. Thus all the solutions needed are conveniently kept together. For high-school work I find i t satisfactory t o show sin flame tests-with the chlorides of sodium, potassium, lithium, calcium, strontium, and barium.
