CHEMICAL TESTS
Testing for water
a) Using anhydrous copper (II) sulphate )
- Anhydrous means without water
- Anhydrous copper(II) sulphate is white in colour.
- When water is added to it, it turns blue and becomes hydrated.
- The purity of water can be checked through boiling or freezing .
- Pure water boils at 1000 𝐶 and freezes at 0𝑜 𝐶
𝐶𝑢𝑆𝑂4 + 5𝐻2 𝑂(𝑙 ) 𝐶𝑢𝑆𝑂4 . 5𝐻2 𝑂(𝑠)
White Blue
b) Using cobalt chloride paper
- Cobalt chloride paper is filter paper that has been dipped in cobalt (II) chloride solution and
dried .
- When dry the paper is blue. When water is added to it, it turns pink.
Identifying gases
a) Hydrogen (𝑯𝟐 )
- When a lighted splint is introduced it ‘pops’
- This is as a result of the explosive reaction between hydrogen and oxygen which produces
water.
b) Oxygen (O2)
- When a glowing splint is introduced, it relights
- This is mainly because oxygen supports burning
c) Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- When bubbled through lime water, the lime water turns milky
- Carbon dioxide reacts with lime water calcium hydroxide) to forma white precipitate of
calcium carbonate
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d) Chlorine (Cl2)
- It is a green gas which bleaches damp litmus paper.
e) Ammonia (NH3)
- Ammonia turns damp red litmus blue. This shows that it is an alkaline gas.
Testing for Cations
i) The flame test
- A flame test is used to show the presence of certain metal ions in a compound.
- A platinum or nichrome wire is cleaned by dipping it into concentrated hydrochloric acid and
then holding it in a hot Burnsen flame. This is repeated until the wire doesn’t give any colour
to the flame.
- The wire is dipped into the acid, then into a tiny sample of the solid to be tested and back into
the flame.
- The colour of the flame is a true indication of the ions present in that compound.
Flame colour Ion present
Lilac Potassium
Orange Sodium
Red Lithium
Brick – red Calcium
ii) Using sodium hydroxide solution
- Prepare a solution of the compound to be tested by dissolving it in distilled water.
- Add portions of sodium hydroxide into the solution and observe.
- There are four main cases where the positive ions can be described.
1) A blue precipitate formed
- This shows the presence of copper(II) ions.
- The precipitate is copper (II) hydroxide
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Ionic – 𝐶𝑢2+(𝑎𝑞) + 2𝑂𝐻 −(𝑎𝑞) 𝐶𝑢𝐶𝑂𝐻)2 (𝑠)
Full – 𝐶𝑢𝑆𝑂4 (𝑎𝑞) + 2𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 (𝑎𝑞) 𝐶𝑢(𝑂𝐻)2 (𝑠) + 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆𝑂4 (𝑎𝑞)
2) An orange – brown precipitate is formed.
- This shows the presence of iron (III) ions.
- The brown precipitate is Iron (III) hydroxide.
𝐹𝑒 3+ (𝑎𝑞) + 3𝑂𝐻 −(𝑎𝑞) 𝐹𝑒(𝑂𝐻)3 (𝑠)
𝐹𝑒𝐶𝑙3 (𝑎𝑞) + 3𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻(𝑎𝑞) 𝐹𝑒(𝑂𝐻)3 (𝑠) + 3𝑁𝑎𝐶𝑙 (𝑎𝑞)
3) A green precipitate is formed
- This shows the presence of iron (II) ions.
- The green precipitate is Iron(II) hydroxide
𝐹𝑒 2+ (𝑎𝑞) + 2𝑂𝐻 − (𝑎𝑞) 𝐹𝑒(𝑂𝐻 )2 (𝑠)
𝐹𝑒𝑆𝑂4(𝑎𝑞) + 2𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 (𝑎𝑞) 𝐹𝑒(𝑂𝐻 )2(𝑠) + 𝑁𝑎2 𝑆𝑂4 (𝑎𝑞)
4) No precipitate, but a smell of ammonia
- This shows the pressure of ammonium ions.
- Sodium hdyroxide reacts with ammonium slatsto produce ammonia gas.
- In the cold, there is judt enough ammoni gas produced for someone to be able to smell it.
- If you warm it, you can test thegas coming off with a piece of damp red litmus paper.
- Ammonia is alkaline and turns the litmus paper blue.
𝑁𝐻 +4 (aq) + 𝑂𝐻 −(𝑎𝑞) 𝑁𝐻3 (𝑔) + 𝐻2 𝑂(𝑙)
𝑁𝐻2 𝐶𝑙 (𝑠) + 𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 (𝑎𝑞) 𝑁𝑎𝐶𝑙 (𝑎𝑞) + 𝑁𝐻3 (𝑔) + 𝐻2 𝑂(𝑙)
Testing for Anions
i) Carbonates
- Add dilute acid to the compound to be tested (nitric acid recommended) and test the gas
produced.
- If the produced is tested and found to be carbon dioxide, then a carbonate is present.
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- Any compound that contains a carbonate will produce carbon dioxide gas when a dilute acid
is added to it.
NB
Sulphuric acid is not recommended because it forms an insoluble compound with some
substances. This could lead to a reaction stopping immediately.
𝐶𝑂32− (𝑠) + 2𝐻 +(𝑎𝑞) 𝐶𝑂2 (𝑎𝑞) + 𝐻2 𝑂(𝑙)
- The carbonate ions usually join up with the hydrogen ions in the acid to form carbon dioxide
gas and water.
ii) Sulphates
- Prepare a solution of the compound to be tested by dissolving it in distilled water.
- Add enough dilute hydrochloric acid to acidify the solution followed by some barium chloride
or barium nitrate solution.
- A white precipitate of barium sulphate is formed.
𝐵𝑎2+ (𝑎𝑞) + 𝑆𝑂2−4 (𝑎𝑞) 𝐵𝑎𝑆𝑂4 (𝑠)
- The solution has to be acidified in order to destroy other compounds which might also produce
white precipitates. When barium Chloride solution is added.
iii) Chlorides bromides and iodides.
- Prepare a solution of the compound to be tested by dissolving it in distilled water.
- Add enough dilute nitric acid to make it acidic, then add some silver nitrate solution.
NB
- Hydrochloric acid is not used because it contains chloride ions.
- A white precipitate of silver chloride shows the presence of chloride ions.
𝐴𝑔+(𝑎𝑞) + 𝐶𝑙 −(𝑎𝑞) 𝐴𝑔𝐶𝑙(𝑠)
- A palecream precipitate of silver bromide shows the presence of bromide ions.
𝐴𝑔+(𝑎𝑞) + 𝐵𝑟 −(𝑎𝑞) 𝐴𝑔𝐵𝑟(𝑠)
- A yellow precipitate of silver iodide shows the presence of iodidie ions
𝐴𝑔+(𝑎𝑞) + 𝐼 −(𝑎𝑞) 𝐴𝑔𝐼(𝑠)
