Flame colors from sodium and sulfur combustion

Steps:

• Sodium burns in oxygen to form sodium oxide, emitting a yellow flame from excited sodium electrons.
• Sulfur burns in oxygen to form sulfur dioxide, producing a blue flame due to sulfur's spectral emission.
• Compare options: A has white for Na (incorrect), B has yellow for Na but yellow for S (incorrect), C matches yellow for Na and blue for S, D has yellow for both (incorrect).
• Select C as the only option with both colors correct.

Why C is correct:

• Sodium's yellow flame results from the 589 nm emission line of excited Na atoms, per atomic spectroscopy principles.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Sodium flame is yellow, not white.
• B: Sulfur flame is blue, not yellow.
• D: Sulfur flame is blue, not yellow.

Final answer: C