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Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry Your notes

Chemical Tests
Contents
Tests for Gases
Flame Tests
Tests for Cations
Tests for Anions
Tests for Water

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Tests for Gases

Your notes
Tests for gases
Several tests for anions and cations produce gases which then need to be tested
The gases included in the syllabus are:
Ammonia
Carbon dioxide
Chlorine
Hydrogen
Oxygen

Test for ammonia

Ammonia is a gas with a characteristic sharp choking smell that turns damp red litmus paper blue
Hold the litmus paper near the mouth of the test tube, but be careful to avoid touching the sides of the
test tube
If you are testing for ammonia produced from ammonium ions and sodium hydroxide, avoiding
touching the sides to prevent traces of sodium hydroxide from also turning the red litmus paper blue
Testing for ammonia gas

Damp red litmus paper turns blue in the presence of ammonia

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Examiner Tip
Your notes
Make sure you understand the difference between ammonium and ammonia.
Ammonium refers to the aqueous cation, NH4+
Ammonia refers to the gas, NH3.

Test for carbon dioxide

The test for carbon dioxide involves bubbling the gas through an aqueous solution
of limewater (calcium hydoxide)
If the gas is carbon dioxide, the limewater turns cloudy white
Testing for carbon dioxide gas

Limewater turns cloudy white in the presence of carbon dioxide

Examiner Tip
Sometimes students think that extinguishing a burning splint indicates carbon dioxide gas.
However, while it is a property of carbon dioxide, other gases, such as nitrogen, will also do this.
So, the test is not definitive and should not be given as an exam answer.

Test for chlorine gas

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The test for chlorine makes use of litmus paper

If chlorine gas is present, damp blue litmus paper will turn red and then be bleached white
It turns red initially as acids are produced when chlorine comes into contact with water Your notes
Chlorine also has a characteristic sharp, choking smell
Chlorine should always be handled in a fume cupboard due to its toxicity
Testing for chlorine gas

Chlorine bleaches damp blue litmus paper white

Examiner Tip
You should distinguish between properties of gases and tests for gases. Chlorine 'smells like
swimming pools' is a characteristic, but it is not an acceptable means of identification.

Test for hydrogen gas

The test for hydrogen consists of holding a burning splint at the open end of a test tube of gas

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If the gas is hydrogen it burns with a loud “squeaky pop” which is the result of the rapid combustion of
hydrogen with oxygen to produce water
Be sure not to insert the splint right into the tube, just at the mouth, as the gas needs air to burn Your notes
Testing for hydrogen gas

A burning splint gives a 'squeaky pop' sound

Examiner Tip
It is easy to confuse the tests for hydrogen and oxygen.
Try to remember that a ligHted splint has an H for Hydrogen, while a glOwing splint has an O for
Oxygen.

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Test for oxygen

The test for oxygen consists of placing a glowing splint inside a test tube of gas Your notes
If the gas is oxygen, the splint will relight
Testing for oxygen gas

A glowing splint will relight in the presence of oxygen

Examiner Tip
Sometimes the splint does not relight, but it glows very brightly, which is also a positive result. In an
exam, however, it is best to state it relights the glowing splint.

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Flame Tests
Your notes
Flame tests
The flame test is used to identify the positive metal ion (cations) by the colour of the flame they
produce
Ions from different metals produce different colours
To carry out a flame test:
Dip the loop of an unreactive metal wire such as nichrome or platinum in dilute acid
Hold it in the blue flame of a Bunsen burner until there is no colour change
Dip the loop into the solid sample / solution and place it in the edge of the blue Bunsen flame
It is important to place the wire into acid first to prevent contamination
Not doing this might result in two or more ions being present on the wire meaning the colours will
mix
One colour could mask another colour and you will not be able to identify the ion

Diagram showing the technique for carrying out a flame test

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The colour of the flame is observed and used to identify the metal ion present
Cation Flame Colour
Your notes

Li+ Red

Na+ Yellow

K+ Lilac

Ca2+ Orange-red

Cu2+ Blue-green

Diagram showing the colours formed in the flame test for metal ions

Examiner Tip
The sample needs to be heated strongly, so the Bunsen burner flame should be on a blue flame.

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Tests for Cations

Your notes
Tests for cations
Metal cations in aqueous solution can be identified by the colour of the precipitate they form on
addition of sodium hydroxide
If only a small amount of NaOH is used then normally the metal hydroxide precipitates
The table below contains the results for each of the cations included in the syllabus
If a precipitate is formed from NaOH then the hydroxide is insoluble in water

Metal ion Effect of adding NaOH

Cu2+ Light blue precipitate formed

Fe2+ Green precipitate formed

Fe3+ Brown precipitate formed

NH4+ Ammonia gas is produced which turns

damp red litmus paper blue

Examiner Tip
Sometimes you may not see much of a precipitate because the cation you are testing is present is very
small amounts. However, every a slight cloudiness or colour change can indicate a positive test result.

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Tests for Anions

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Tests for anions
Negatively charged non-metal ions are known as anions
You must be able to describe the tests for the following ions:
Carbonate ions, CO32–
Halide ions, Cl– , Br– , I–
Sulfate ions, SO42–
Test for carbonate ions
Carbonate compounds contain the carbonate ion, CO32-
The test for the carbonate ion is:
Add dilute acid
Bubble the gas released through limewater
Limewater turns cloudy if the carbonate ion is present
If a carbonate compound is present then fizzing / effervescence should be seen as CO2 gas is
produced, which forms a white precipitate of calcium carbonate when bubbled through limewater:
CO32- (aq) + 2H+ (aq) → CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
CO2 (g) + Ca(OH)2 (aq) → CaCO3(s) + H2O(l)
The white precipitate turns limewater cloudy
Testing for carbonate ions

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Your notes

Limewater turns milky in the presence of carbon dixoide caused by the formation of insoluble calcium
carbonate

Examiner Tip
If you are asked to describe the test for carbonate ions, make sure that you say:
Bubble the gas produced through limewater, which turns cloudy if the carbonate ion is
present
Just saying that limewater turns cloudy is not enough
This isn't describing the test, it is stating the result

Test for halide ions

Halide ions are the negative ions / anions formed by the elements in Group 7
The test for the halide ions is:
Acidify the sample with nitric acid
Add silver nitrate solution, AgNO3,
A silver halide precipitate forms if a halide ion is present
The precipitate is indicated by the state symbol (s)
The colour of the silver halide precipitate depends on the halide ion:
The chloride ion forms a white precipitate of silver chloride
potassium chloride + silver nitrate → potassium nitrate + silver chloride
KCl (aq) + AgNO3 (aq) → KNO3 (aq) + AgCl (s)

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The bromide ion forms a cream precipitate of silver bromide

potassium bromide + silver nitrate → potassium nitrate + silver bromide
Your notes
KBr (aq) + AgNO3 (aq) → KNO3 (aq) + AgBr (s)
The iodide ions forms a yellow precipitate of silver iodide
potassium iodide + silver nitrate → potassium nitrate + silver iodide
KI (aq) + AgNO3 (aq) → KNO3 (aq) + AgI (s)
Testing for halide ions

Each silver halide produces a precipitate of a different colour

Examiner Tip
The acidification step in the halide ion test must be done with nitric acid rather than hydrochloric acid.
HCl contains the chloride ion which would interfere with the results.

Test for sulfate ions

Sulfate compounds contain the sulfate ion, SO42-

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The test for the sulfate ion is:

Acidify the sample with dilute hydrochloric acid
Add a few drops of barium chloride solution Your notes
A white precipitate of barium sulfate is formed, if the sulfate ion is present
Ba2+ (aq) + SO42- (aq) → BaSO4 (s)
The test can also be carried out with barium nitrate solution
Testing for sulfate ions

A white precipitate of barium sulfate is a positive result for the presence of sulfate ions

Examiner Tip
HCl is added first to remove any carbonates which may be present which would also produce a
precipitate and interfere with the results.

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Tests for Water

Your notes
Test for water
Water can be identified using a chemical test and/or a physical test

Chemical test for water

Anhydrous copper(II) sulfate turns from white to blue on the addition of water
The equation is:
CuSO4 (s) + 5H2O (l) → CuSO4.5H2O (s)

Copper sulfate turns a light blue colour in the presence of water

Physical test for water
A physical test to see if a sample of water is pure is to check its boiling point
A sample of the liquid is placed in a suitable container such as a boiling tube and gently heated
Using a thermometer, you can check if the boiling point is exactly 100 oC
Any impurities present will usually tend to raise the boiling point and depress the melting point of pure
substance

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Examiner Tip
Your notes
A lot of students are tempted to say you can identify water because it has no taste or smell. While this
may be true, it would be extremely hazardous to taste anything in the lab and water is not the only
colourless liquid to have no taste or smell!

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