Clinical Chemistry Numericals Practice Test 2026 - Free Clinical Chemistry Practice Questions and Study Guide

In flame photometry, the color you see from an element in the flame comes from its characteristic emission wavelength when excited atoms return to lower energy levels. Lithium has a strong emission line around 670.8 nm, which lies in the red region of the spectrum. Because the instrument (or filter used) detects light at that wavelength, lithium’s emission appears red in the flame. So the color associated with lithium emission is red.