IDENTIFICATION OF IONS

AND GASES
 tests for the cations
 The majority of solids are white powders and difficult to
distinguish between just by looking.

 Simple tests are needed to quickly tell us what they are

made-up of.

 Flame tests can give us a good indication of what metal

ion it contains.

 You should know the colours associated with four metal

ions as well as the method used to carry out flame tests.
 Method

 Dip a Nichrome wire in a concentrated solution of Hydrochloric

acid - this cleans the wire and makes it damp.

 Nichrome is used because it is an alloy with a high melting point

that will not affect the colour of the Bunsen flame.

 The slightly damp wire is then dipped into the unidentified powder.

 A blue Bunsen flame is needed and the colour change notice when
the powder is placed in it should be noted
 Some salts contain the Ammonium ion (NH4+).

 To identify it the salts should be dissolved in water (all

Ammonium salts are soluble) and a little Sodium
Hydroxide should be added.

 The mixture is then gently warmed over a Bunsen.

 A faint smell of Ammonia may be detected but the test is
to hold some damp red Litmus paper over the test-tube.

Any Ammonia gas will dissolve and change the Litmus to

a blue colour

Ammonium ion + Hydroxide ion --> Ammonia gas +

Water

 NH4 +(aq) + OH-(aq) --> NH3 (g) + H 2O (l)

 Identifying transition metal ions

 Transition metals form

coloured compounds with
other elements. Many of these are
soluble in water, forming coloured
solutions.
 If sodium hydroxide solution is then
added, a transition metal hydroxide is
formed. Transition metal hydroxides
are insoluble so they form
solid precipitates. These precipitates
often appear as small particles
suspended in a solution.
 Generally:
Mx+(aq) + xOH-(aq) --> M(OH)x(s)

 Copper (II):
Cu2+(aq) + 2OH-(aq) --> Cu(OH)2(s) Blue ppt

Iron (II):
2+
Fe (aq) + 2OH-(aq)  Fe(OH)2(s) Green
Ppt
 Iron (III):

3+
Fe (aq) + 3OH-(aq)  Fe(OH)3(s) Brown
ppt

3+ –
Cation NaOH Excess Ammonia Excess of
NaOH Solution ammonia
solution
Chromium Grey green Dissolves Grey green Does not
(III) ppt ppt dissolve

Copper (II) Blue ppt Does not Blue ppt dissolves

dissolve

Fe(II) Dark green Does not Dark green Does not

ppt dissolve ppt dissolve

Fe(III) Brown ppt Does not Brown ppt Does not

dissolve dissolve
 Test for Aluminium, Zinc and Calcium
using NaOH and NH4OH
Cation NaOH Excess Ammonia Excess
(aq.) NaOH Solution

Al+3 White ppt White ppt White ppt No change

dissolves
in excess

Zn+2 White ppt White ppt White ppt Re dissolves

dissolves
in excess

Ca+2 White ppt Does not No ppt No ppt.

dissolve
 Tests for negative ions
Testing for carbonate
ions
 Carbonate ions, CO32- can be detected
whether in a solid compound or in
solution. Any acid, such as dilute
hydrochloric acid, is added to the test
compound.
 Carbon dioxide gas bubbles if carbonate
ions are present. Limewater is used to
confirm that the gas is carbon dioxide. It
turns from clear to milky when carbon
dioxide is bubbled through.
 Testing for sulfate ions

 Sulfate ions in solution, SO42-, are

detected using barium chloride
solution. The test solution is acidified
using a few drops of dilute
hydrochloric acid, and then a few
drops of barium chloride solution are
added. A white precipitate of
barium sulfate forms if sulfate ions
are present
 Test for Sulphite ion
 (i) Add dilute hydrochloric acid to the
suspected sulfite.
 sulphite salt + hydrochloric
acid ==> chloride salt + sulphur
dioxide
 (ii) Test any gas evolved with fresh
potassium dichromate(VI) paper.
 The dichromate paper turns from
orange to green.
 The sulphur dioxide reduces the
dichromate(VI) to chromium(III).
 The hydrochloric acid is added first to
remove any carbonate ions that might
be present - they would also produce a
white precipitate, giving a false positive
result.
 Barium nitrate solution can be used
instead of barium chloride solution.
However, nitric acid is added first to
acidify the test solution. Sulfuric acid
cannot be used because it contains
sulfate ions - these would interfere with
the second part of the test.
 Halogens
 Halide ions in solutions are detected
using silver nitrate solutions. The test
solution is acidified using a few drops
of dilute nitric acid, and then a few
drops of silver nitrate solution are
added.
 The nitric acid is added first to remove
any carbonate ions that might be
present - they would produce a white
precipitate of silver carbonate, giving a
false positive result for chloride ions
 Halide ion test
 Different coloured silver halide
precipitates form, depending on
the halide ions present:
 Chloride ions give a white
precipitate of silver chloride
 bromide ions give a cream
precipitate of silver bromide
 iodide ions give a yellow
precipitate of silver iodide
 Testing for nitrate ions

 Nitrate ions (NO3-) can be detected

by reducing them to ammonia. This is
done by:
 adding sodium hydroxide solution, then
aluminium powder or foil
 heating strongly
 If nitrate ions are present, ammonia gas
is given off. This has a characteristic
choking smell. It also turns damp
red litmus paper or damp universal
indicator paper blue.
 Tests for gases

 Hydrogen: A lighted wooden splint makes

a popping sound in a test tube of hydrogen.
 Oxygen: A glowing wooden splint relights
in a test tube of oxygen.
 Carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide
turns limewater milky. A lighted wooden
splint goes out in a test tube of carbon
dioxide but this happens with other gases,
too. So the limewater test is a better choice.
 Ammonia:Ammonia has a characteristic
sharp, choking smell. It also makes damp
red litmus paper turn blue. Ammonia
forms a white smoke of ammonium
chloride when hydrogen chloride gas,
from concentrated hydrochloric acid, is
held near it.
 Chlorine: Chlorine has a characteristic
sharp, choking smell. It also makes damp
blue litmus paper turn red, and then
bleaches it white. Chlorine makes
damp starch-iodide paper turn blue-
black.
 REVIEW
1. In flame testing, what element is
indicated by an orange flame?
 Sodium
 Lithium
 Copper
2. When doing a flame test, what
element is indicated by a purple/lilac
flame?
 Barium
 Calcium
 Potassium
3. Which ion can be detected in solution
by adding dilute sodium hydroxide and
then warming, before testing the gas
given off with damp red litmus paper? A
blue colour is a positive result.
 Ammonium ions
 Chloride ions
 Sulfate ions
4. Many ions can be detected in solution
by adding another solution and
observing the colour of the solid
formed. What term is given to a solid
formed in a reaction between two
solutions?
 Filtrate
 Precipitate
 Residue
5. What solution is added to test for the
presence of transition metal ions in
solution?
 Sodium hydroxide
 Barium nitrate
 Silver nitrate
6. What is the colour of the solid
hydroxide formed when testing for
copper(II) ions?
 Blue
 Green
 Orange