Final answer:
Transition metal compounds can create different colors of light when burning, and these colors can be used to identify the elements present.
Step-by-step explanation:
Compounds of many transition elements are distinctive for being widely and vividly colored. As visible light passes through a transition metal compound dissolved in water, the d-orbitals absorb light of various energies. The visible light of a given energy level that is not absorbed produces a distinctly colored solution.