pH Indicator Acid Neutral Base

Universal Indicator Red Green Purple

Phenolphthalein Colorless Colorless Pink
Methyl Orange Red Yellow Yellow
Thymol Blue Pink Yellow Blue
Phenol Red Yellow Pink Pink
Negative Terminal

POSITIVE TERMINAL

Factors to
select Ion
Salt Solubility

Yes No
Salt of Nitrate All -

Salt of Sulphate (Pb) Lead sulphate

(Ba) Barium sulphate
(Ca) Calcium sulphate

Salt of Chloride (Pb) Lead chloride

(Ag) silver chloride
(Hg) mercury chloride

Salt of Carbonate (K) Potassium carbonate

(Na) Sodium carbonate
(NH4) Ammonium carbonate

Salt of Oxide Group 1

Salt of Hydroxide Group 1

 Colour of Ions

Salt or metal oxide Solid Aqueous solution

Salt of Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Aluminium, zinc, Lead,

White Colourless
ammonium

Salt of Chloride, sulphate, nitrate, carbonate White Colourless

Salt of Copper(II).-

Copper(II) Carbonate Green –

Copper(II) sulphate, Copper(II) nitrate, Copper(II) chloride Blue Blue

Copper(II) oxide Black –

Salt of Iron (II): Green Green

Iron(II) sulphate; Iron(II) nitrate; Iron(ID chloride

Salt of Iron (III): Brown Brown

Iron(III) sulphate; Iron(III) nitrate; Iron(III) chloride

Zink oxide Yellow when it is hot and –

white when it is cold.

Lead(II) oxide- Brown when it is hot and –

yellow when it is cold.

Magnesium oxide, Aluminium oxide White Insoluble

Potassium oxide, Sodium oxide, Calcium oxide White Colourless

 There are 10 cations and 4 anions to be studied in our syllabus:

Cation Anion

Sodium Na+ Iron (II) Fe2+ Chloride ion Cl–

Calcium Ca2+ Iron (III) Fe3+ sulphate ion SO42-

Magnesium Mg2+ Lead(II) Pb2+ nitrate ion NO3–

Aluminium Al3+ Copper (II) Cu2+ carbonate ion CO3–

Zinc Zn2+ Ammonium NH4+

Gas Method
Hydrogen Burning wooden splinter.
 ‘Pop’ sound
Oxygen Glowing wooden splinter
 Glows brighter
Carbon Dioxide Limewater
 Turns Chalky
Sulphur Dioxide Potassium Dichromate
(VI)
 Orange turns Green
Chlorine Moist blue litmus
 Blue litmus turn red
then white
Ammonia Moist red litmus
 Red litmus turns
blue
Carbonate Sulphate
1. Dilute hydrochloric acid 1. Dilute
/ nitric acid /sulphuric hydrochloric/nitric acid
acid is added. is added
2. Effervescence occurs. 2. No effervescence
3. Gas passed through 3. Barium chloride is
lime water, the lime added
water turns chalky.
4. White precipitate will
4. Gas is carbon dioxide, form.
and hence the salt
contain carbonate 5. The precipitate is
barium sulphate.
6. This is actually the
double decomposition
reaction that you have
learned in preparation
of insoluble salt.
Ba2+ + SO42– → BaSO4
Chloride Nitrate
1. Dilute nitric acid is 1. Dilute sulphuric acid is
added added followed by iron
(II) sulphate solution.
2. No effervescence 2. A few drops of
concentrated sulphuric
3. Silver nitrate solution is acid are added
added
3. A brown ring will form
4. White precipitate will in the middle of the
form. solution.
5. The precipitate is silver 4. Explanation: Iron (II)
chloride sulphate reduce nitric
acid (from the reaction
Ag + Cl → AgCl
+ –
between nitrate ion and
concentrated sulphuric
acid) to nitrogen
monoxide. Afterwards,
nitrogen monoxide
combines with iron (II)
sulphate.
5. FeSO4.NO which is
brown in colour (brown
ring).