UNIT - 3 INORGANIC IDENTIFICATION

1 A series of tests was carried out on X, a white solid, which is known to contain one
cation and one anion.

JAN 2014

(a) X gave a pale green colour in a flame test. Give the name or formula of the cation
in X.
(1)
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(b) When dilute nitric acid was added to a sample of solid X, no reaction occurred.
Suggest the name or formula of an anion that could not be present in X.
(1)
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(c) Dilute nitric acid was added to an aqueous solution of X, and then aqueous silver
nitrate was added to the mixture. A white precipitate formed, which dissolved in
dilute aqueous ammonia.
Give the name or formula of the anion in X.

(1)

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(d) A sample of the white precipitate in (c) was left to stand in sunlight.
(i) What colour change would be seen?
(1)
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(ii) Name the substance responsible for the new colour that appeared in (d)(i).
(1)
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(e) Dilute sulfuric acid was added to an aqueous solution of X.

(i) What change would be observed?

(1)

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(ii) Write an equation for the reaction in (e)(i). Include state symbols.
(2)

(f ) (i) A few drops of concentrated sulfuric acid were added to a small portion of
solid X in a test tube. Misty fumes, but no other vapours, were seen.
(1)

Identify these fumes by name or formula.

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(ii) Describe a further chemical test to confirm the identity of the gas responsible
for the misty fumes.
(2)

Give the expected result of the test.

Test

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... ............................................................................................................................... ....... . . .

............ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......................................................................................................................... ................... . . .

Result

. . . . . . . . . . .................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............ ............................................................................................................................... . . . . .

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(Total for Question 1 = 11 marks)

2 Tests were carried out on compounds X, Y and Z. Complete the tables below.

MAY 2013

(a) Compound X is a white, water-soluble solid.

Test
(i)

Observation

Flame test

Inference
(Name or formula)

Lilac flame
........................................................................

(ii)

To a solution of X,
add barium chloride
solution and acidify with
hydrochloric acid

Sulfate ions absent

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...........................................

(1)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...........................................

(iii)

To a solution of X, add
dilute nitric acid
followed by

Iodide ions present

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...........................................

(2)

. . . .................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(iv)

Add concentrated
aqueous ammonia
solution to the mixture
remaining from test (iii)
(v) The formula of X is:

(1)

Confirms presence of
iodide ions
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...........................................

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .............................................

(1)
(1)

(b) Compound Y is a white solid that is insoluble in water.

Test
(i)

Observation

Flame test

Inference
(Name or formula)

Yellow-red (brick red)

flame

(1)

........................................................................

(ii)

Add dilute
hydrochloric acid to Y

The mixture fizzed and

the solid
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..............................................

Bubble the gas through

It turned milky

CO2 evolved
(2)

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(iii) The formula of Y is:

(1)

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JAN 2013

3 (a) A student carried out a series of tests on solid potassium iodide, KI.
Complete the table below.

(5)
Test
(i)

Carry out a flame test

on potassium iodide.

Observation
Colour of flame is

Inference
Cation is K+

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(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

Dissolve potassium
iodide in water. Add
dilute nitric acid
followed by aqueous
silver nitrate.
Test the precipitate
formed in (ii) with
concentrated
ammonia solution.
Dissolve potassium
iodide in water. Add
10 drops of aqueous
chlorine solution.

Colour of precipitate
formed is

Anion is I

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Confirms iodide ions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...............................................

Colour of solution formed is

Formula of the coloured

species is

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...........................................................................

(v) A hydrocarbon solvent, which is less dense than water, was added to the solution
formed in test (iv). What would you expect to see in the test tube after the
solvent has been added, the contents of the test tube vigorously shaken and left
to stand for a few minutes?
(2)
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4 A student is given aqueous solutions of:

x
x
x
x

sodium chloride, NaCl(aq)

potassium iodide, KI(aq)
dilute hydrochloric acid, HCl(aq)
dilute nitric acid, HNO3(aq)

The solutions are labelled A, B, C and D, but not necessarily in the order listed above.
The student carried out two tests on each solution.
Test 1
1. The student put a 1 cm depth of each of the solutions A, B, C and D into separate
test tubes.
2. The student added one spatula measure of solid sodium carbonate, Na2CO3, to each
test tube.
3. The students observations were recorded as shown in Table 1 below, in the column
labelled Test 1.

Test 2
1. The student put a 1 cm depth of each of the solutions A, B, C and D into separate
test tubes.
2. The student added an equal volume of aqueous silver nitrate solution, AgNO3, to
each test tube.
3. The students observations were recorded as shown in Table 1 below, in the column
labelled Test 2.

Table 1

Observations
Solution

Test 1

Test 2

Effervescence

No reaction

No reaction

Yellow precipitate

No reaction

White precipitate

Effervescence

White precipitate

(a) Use the results of the tests to identify each of the four solutions using the letters A,
B, C and D in Table 2.
Table 2

Name of solution

(3)

Letter

Sodium chloride solution

Potassium iodide solution
Dilute hydrochloric acid
Dilute nitric acid
(b) Explain how the observations allowed the student to distinguish between dilute
hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride solution.

(1)

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(c) Give the ionic equation, including state symbols, for the reaction of solution B in
Test 2.
(2)

(d) What would you expect to see when dilute ammonia solution is added to the white
precipitate formed by solution C in Test 2?
(1)
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1 A series of tests was carried out on A, a white powder, which is known to contain one
cation and one anion. Complete the table below. You may use names or formulae in
your answers.
Test
(a)

Observations

Carry out a flame

test on A.

Inferences
Cation is potassium

................................................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(1)
(b)

Add a mixture
of dilute nitric
acid and aqueous
silver nitrate to an
aqueous solution
of A.

A yellow precipitate forms.

Then add an
excess of dilute
aqueous ammonia
to the mixture.

When excess dilute aqueous

ammonia is added

Anion is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

................................................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

................................................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

................................................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

................................................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)
(c)

Add an aqueous
solution of
bromine to an
aqueous solution
of A.

The colour of the solution of

bromine is
................................................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When bromine is added to

an aqueous solution of A the
colour of the mixture is

The change in colour is due to

the formation of
...........................................................................

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(3)