Edexcel chemical test explanations

Observation for a
Test for…… Reagents and procedure Why use these reagents? Chemical equation
positive test
Li+ Crimson-red color
Flame test: i) clean platinum wire
Orange-yellow
Na+ with acid and then rinse it clean
colored flame
with distilled water; ii) dip into These metal ions produce
Flame tests K+ solution containing metal ion to be characteristic color when placed in Lilac colored flame (advanced physical chemistry stuff)
tested; iii) place wire into non- flame
Ca2+ luminous Bunsen flame and look Brick-red flame
for the distinctive color
Cu2+ Green flame

i) Add sodium hydroxide solution

Ammonium reacts with sodium
and warm; ii) place damp red Damp litmus paper NH4Cl + NaOH  NH3 + NaCl + H2O and then
ammonium hydroxide to form ammonia gas.
+ litmus at the mouth of test tube; turns from red to NH3 + H2O  NH4+ + OH-. This hydroxide ion
ion (NH4 ) When in contact with water,
iii) look for a color change from blue (OH-) is the source of alkalinity.
ammonia gives an alkaline solution
red to blue
Test for
cations light blue
Cu2+ Cu2+(aq) + 2OH-(aq)  Cu(OH)2(s)
precipitate
Add sodium hydroxide solution These metal ions form insoluble dark green
Fe2+ Fe2+(aq) + 2OH-(aq)  Fe(OH)2(s)
and look for a precipitate hydroxides with distinctive colors. precipitate

Fe3+ brown precipitate Fe3+(aq) + 3OH-(aq)  Fe(OH)3(s)

Cl- Silver ions form insoluble compounds white precipitate Ag+(aq) + Cl-(aq)  AgCl(s)
with all three halide ions. The reason
i) Acidify using dilute nitric acid; ii) for using dilute nitric acid to begin
add silver nitrate solution; iii) look with is to avoid false positive
Br- cream precipitate Ag+(aq) + Br-(aq)  AgBr(s)
for a white to pale yellow precipitates due to hydroxides or
precipitate carbonates, because silver happens to
form insoluble compounds with these
I- two ions as well. yellow precipitate Ag+(aq) + I-(aq)  AgI(s)

Test for
anions
Test for Barium ions form an insoluble barium
anions sulphate precipitate. The reason for
i) Acidify using dilute nitric acid; ii)
using dilute nitric acid to begin with is
add barium nitrate solution; iii)
sulphate to avoid false positive precipitates
look for a white precipitate (note: white precipitate Ba2+(aq) + SO42-(aq)  BaSO4(s)
(SO42-) due to hydroxides or carbonates,
HCl and barium chloride also
because barium happens to form
work)
insoluble compounds with these two
ions as well.

i) Add dilute named acid e.g. HCl

or sulphuric acid; ii) look for the Carbonates react with acid to form Effervescence (colorless
carbonate
evolution of gas; iii) lime water carbon dioxide gas, a metal salt, and gas bubbles evolved), CO32-(aq) + 2H+(aq)  H2O(l) + CO2(g)
(CO32-) lime water turning milky
turns milky when this gas is passed water
through it
ammonia Hold damp red litmus paper When in contact with water, damp red litmus NH3 + H2O  NH4+ + OH-. This hydroxide ion
(NH3) against the gas ammonia gives an alkaline solution paper turns blue (OH-) is the source of alkalinity.
Test for gases and simple molecular substances

A small explosion leads to a pop

hydrogen place burning splint into gas Squeaky pop sound 2H2 + O2  2H2O
sound
more oxygen will sustain the
glowing splint more oxygen will sustain the combustion of
oxygen place glowing splint into gas combustion of the splint material
relights the splint material (cellulose or lignin)
(cellulose or lignin)
carbon dioxide reacts with lime
carbon water, which is calcium hydroxide, to lime water turns
bubble through lime water Ca(OH)2(aq) + CO2(g)  CaCO3(s) + H2O(l)
dioxide produce the insoluble calcium milky
carbonate
For your reference, HCl accounts for
damp blue litmus
Hold damp blue litmus paper most of the acidity while HOCl For your reference only, the equation is
chlorine paper turns red
against the gas accounts for the bleaching activity as Cl2(g) + H2O(l) <--> HCl(aq) + HOCl(aq).
and then white
it oxidizes dyes
Anhydrous copper sulphate is white
presence of white powder turns
add anhydrous copper sulphate while hydrated copper sulphate is CuSO4(s) + 5H2O  CuSO45H2O(s)
water blue
blue
purity of should be exactly H2O(l) <--> H2O(g)
boiling point Pure water boils at exactly 100oC
water 100oC
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