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Cations are identified based on their reactions with 2 reagents: aqueous sodium hydroxide and
aqueous ammonia. The colour of the precipitates (ppt) formed and their solubility in excess of
the reagent serves as a useful guide for the identification of cations in aqueous solutions.
Observations:
Identity of
Cation Reaction with aqueous sodium Reaction with aqueous ammonia precipitate
hydroxide
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Note:
The purpose of adding dilute nitric acid before adding the specific reagents is to prevent the
precipitation of CO32- ions (i.e. to eliminate the possible presence of CO32- ions) and at the
same time, not interfere with the test (because nitrates ions do not form precipitates as nitrate
compounds are soluble in water).
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Greenish-yellow gas Place a piece of moist blue Blue litmus paper turns red, and is
Chlorine
with a pungent smell litmus paper in the gas. then bleached.
Colourless and Place a lighted wooden splint Lighted splint is extinguished with a
Hydrogen
odourless gas near the gas. `pop’ sound.
There are 2 chemical tests to detect the presence of water or water vapour:
Note that these 2 tests only show the presence of water. They cannot be used to test for the
purity of water.
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SUMMARY (CATIONS)
Salt solution
aqueous sodium
hydroxide
Excess aqueous
Warm
sodium hydroxide
Ammonia produced:
NH4+
White ppt soluble: White ppt insoluble:
Al3+, Pb2+, Zn2+ Ca2+
Salt solution
aqueous ammonia
Excess aqueous
ammonia
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SUMMARY (ANIONS)
dilute acid
carbonate
nitrate
warm
ammonia gas
chloride
white precipitate
iodide
yellow precipitate
sulfate
white precipitate
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Al3+ White Aluminium hydroxide Al3+ (aq) + 3OH- (aq) Al(OH)3 (s)
* For the calcium ion (Ca2+), very little or no precipitate is formed with aqueous ammonia.
Note:
For the ammonium ion (NH4+), ammonia gas (NH3) is evolved when warmed with aqueous
sodium hydroxide.
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Identity of
Anion Test: Ionic Equation:
precipitate
Aqueous sodium
-
NO3 hydroxide +
- -
Aluminium powder
(with warming)
CO32- Dilute hydrochloric CO32- (aq) + 2H+ (aq) CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
-
acid
Note:
For the nitrate ion (NO3-), ammonia gas (NH3) is evolved when warmed with aqueous sodium
hydroxide and aluminium powder.
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To illustrate how a precipitation reaction takes place for cations, consider the following model
for the test for Cu2+ ions.
Cu2+
+
Xm- Cu2+ OH-
OH-
Xm- Cu2+ Xm- OH- Na+ OH-
1. Suppose the above test solution is copper(II) nitrate, can you work out the ionic equation
for the precipitation reaction?
2. Suppose the above test solution is copper(II) sulfate, can you work out the ionic equation
for the precipitation reaction?
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To illustrate how a precipitation reaction takes place for anions, consider the following model
for the test for Cl- ions.
Cl-
+
Yn+ Cl- Ag+
Ag+
Yn+ Cl- Yn+ Ag+ NO3- Ag+
1. Suppose the above test solution is potassium chloride, can you work out the ionic equation
for the precipitation reaction?
2. Suppose the above test solution is hydrochloric acid, can you work out the ionic equation
for the precipitation reaction?
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