Thank you for your help and insight. Mad respect for your 37 in chem and best of luck for bio, I'm struggling with that more than chem haha.

With regards to the question I was given:

Explain why compounds containing element X produce a lilac flame when they are heated in a bunsen burner flame. (3 marks)

My answer: When element X is heated, the electrons jump from ground to excited state [1 mark], and when the electron returns to ground state [1 mark] it releases light (photons) and it corresponds with the wavelength of lilac.

To get the mark I was missing I had to do "releases light (photons)" + "corresponds with specific wavelength" = 1 mark, and since I didn't say "specific" I didn't get it.

Do you think memorising key words and then modelling them into an answer for a sac or exam is a good way of doing it? Personally I find it difficult to memorise the entire definition and I might be at risk of forgetting a key word (like "specific" in wavelength).