GeologyRocks

What's blowpipe analysis? (I realise I could google this, but I'm feeling lazy today. Google doesn't have abutton for lazy, just lucky...)

A sample of a mineral is heated in a flame, produced by blowing through a narrow glass tube in a flame (flame can be from gas, a spirit or paraffin lamp, or even a candle). The flame can be varied to produce an oxidizing or a reducing environment, and a flux or a reagent such as charcoal can also be employed. The changes in the sample can then be used to diagnose the mineral in question.