Qualitative analysis: tests for ions Flashcards
Why must the test for any ion be unique?
Wouldn’t be able to know what ion it was if more than one gave the same result innit
how to do a flame test?
- Light bunsen burner to non-safety flame
- Take a wire loop, dip it into hydrochloric acid, rinse in distilled water and hold it over a flame. It should produce no colour if it is clean.
- Dip the wire loop into the metal
- Hold it above the fire and use the colour to determine the ion
How to do a precipitation test?
- Add sodium hydroxide solution to the compound
- If a hydroxide precipitate forms, you can use the colour to tell which metal ion was there
How to do halide test?
- add dilute nitric acid
- add silver nitrate solution
- nitric acid gets rid of carbonate ions because they confuse results
how to test for carbonate ions
- Add dilute acids, mixture will fizz
- carbonate reacts with acid to form carbon dioxide and water
- Check gas produced is carbon dioxide by bubbling through limewater
How to test for sulfate ions
- add hydrochloric acid, stops any other precipitation reactions
- Add barium chloride
- If there are sulphate ions, white precipitate of barium sulphate forms
lithium result
red flame
sodium result
yellow flame
potassium result
lilac flame
calcium test results
- orange-red flame
- White precipitate
copper test results
- blue-green flame
- blue precipitate
aluminium test results
precipitate: white at first. However, will dissolve and turn colourless when you add excess sodium hydroxide
Iron II results
Precipitate: Green
Iron III results
Precipitate: Brown
test for ammonium ions/ammonia
- Add sodium hydroxide
- Heat gently
- Place damp red litmus paper over it
- if it is ammonia, will turn blue
chloride test results
- white precipitate silver chloride
bromide test results
- cream precipitate silver bromide
iodide test results
- yellow precipitate silver iodide
How can you use instrumental methods of analysis?
- Flame photometry uses photometer
- Analyses spectra produced by ions
- Sensitive, fast and accurate