Describe a test for hydrogen gas.
Place a lit splint into test tube
Hydrogen burns with a distinct squeaky pop sound
Describe a test for carbon dioxide gas.
Calcium carbonate in dilute hydrochloric acid will bubble
Bubble gas through limewater (calcium hydroxide)
Limewater should turn cloudy (calcium carbonate)
How would you test for a cation?
Using sodium hydroxide
Test and positive result for Cu2+
Put cation solution in test tube and add few drops of sodium hydroxide NaOH.
Blue precipitate forms.
Equation for Cu2+ and NaOH
CuSO4 (aq) + 2NaOH (aq) ā Cu(OH)2 (s) + Na2SO4 (aq)
Copper sulphate + 2 sodium hydroxide ā copper hydroxide + sodium sulphate
Test and positive result for Fe2+
Add sodium hydroxide to cation solution
Green precipitate forms (turns brown if left as Fe2+ is oxidised by air to Fe3+)
Equation for Fe2+ and NaOH
FeSO4 (aq) + 2NaOH (aq) ā Fe(OH)2 + Na2SO4(s)
Test and positive result for Fe3+
Add sodium hydroxide to cation solution
Brown precipitate forms
Equation for Fe3+ and NaOH
FeCl3 (aq) + 3NaOH (aq) ā Fe(OH)3 (s) + 3NaCl (aq)
Flame test description
Clean piece of nichrome wire by dipping end into hydrochloric acid
Dip wire into small sample of solid being tested
Place wire into hottest part of non-luminous Bunsen flame
Record colour observed
Test and positive result for (solid) Li+
Red
Positive result for (solid) Na+
Yellow
Positive result for (solid) K+
Lilac
Positive result for (solid) Ca2+
Orange-red
Positive result for (solid) Cu2+
Blue-green
Test and positive result of ammonium cation.
Ammonium NH4+
Solution being tested in test tube
Add few drops sodium hydroxide
Carefully heat the test tube
Gas is given off
Place small piece of damp red litmus paper at mouth of test tube
Damp red litmus paper turns blue.
What happens when the ammonia gas NH3 touches the damp red litmus paper?
It dissolves in the water to form NH4+ and OH-
OH- ions are alkaline so turns the litmus paper blue
Test for halide anions (chloride, bromide, iodide)
Add a few drops of nitric acid
Then a few drops of silver nitrate
Why do you add some nitric acid before testing for halide anions?
To remove any carbonate CO3 2- ions, because Ag2CO3 is also a white precipitate.
Positive result for Cl- after adding nitric acid and silver nitrate
White precipitate (AgCl)
Positive result for Br-
Cream precipitate (AgBr)
Positive result for I-
Yellow precipitate (AgI)
Describe a test and positive result for sulphate SO4 2- anions.
Add few drops of hydrochloric acid
Then add a few drops of barium chloride solution
White precipitate (BaSO4) means positive result.
Test for chlorine gas
If chlorine gas is present, damp blue litmus paper turns red initially (as acids are produced when chlorine reacts with the water) but then is bleached white.
Describe a test for oxygen gas.
Place a glowing splint in test tube
Splint should relight