Test for Gases

Gas Test and Test Results

Ammonia (NH3) turns damp red litmus paper blue
Carbon dioxide (CO2) gives white ppt with limewater, ppt dissolves with excess CO2
Chlorine (Cl2) bleaches damp litmus paper
Hydrogen (H2) produces "pop" sound with lighted splint
Oxygen (O2) relights a glowing splint
turns aqueous acidified potassium dichromate (VI) from orange to
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
green

Test for Anions

Anion Test Test result

Carbonate Effervescence, carbon dioxide
Add dilute acid
(CO32-) produced
Chloride (Cl-) Acidify with dilute nitric acid, then
White ppt
(in solution) add aqueous silver nitrate
Iodide (I-) Acidify with dilute nitric acid, then
Yellow ppt
(in solution) add aqueous lead(II) nitrate
Add aqueous sodium hydroxide,
nitrate (NO3-)
then aluminium foil, warm Ammonia produced
(in solution)
carefully
Sulfate (SO42-) Acidify with dilute nitric acid, then
White ppt
(in solution) add aqueous barium nitrate

Colours of some metal hydroxides

Metal hydroxide Colour

calcium hydroxide white
copper(II) hydroxide light blue
iron(II) hydroxide green
iron(III) hydroxide red-brown
lead(II) hydroxide white
zinc hydroxide white

Source: SEAB
Testing for cations
Cations can be identified by their reactions with aqueous sodium hydroxide and aqueous
ammonia
A precipitate is an insoluble solid.
When testing for cations, these precipitates only form when a metal ion in solution joins with
hydroxide ions in solution to form an insoluble metal hydroxide
o eg Cu2+ + 2OH- --> Cu(OH)2 (blue copper(II) hydroxide precipitate)

Add dilute
Add dilute NaOH Add excess dilute Add excess dilute
Cation aqueous NH3 (5
(5 drops) NaOH aqueous NH3
drops)
white ppt of ppt dissolves white ppt of
3+
Al aluminium colourless aluminium ppt insoluble
hydroxide solution hydroxide
white ppt of
Ca2+ ppt insoluble no reaction no reaction
calcium hydroxide
blue ppt of blue ppt of
2+ ppt dissolves
Cu copper(II) ppt insoluble copper(II)
deep blue solution
hydroxide hydroxide
dirty green ppt of dirty green ppt of
Fe2+ ppt insoluble ppt insoluble
iron(II) hydroxide iron(II) hydroxide
red-brown ppt of red-brown ppt of
Fe3+ ppt insoluble ppt insoluble
iron(III) hydroxide iron(III) hydroxide
ppt dissolves
white ppt of white ppt of
Pb2+ colourless ppt insoluble
lead(II) hydroxide lead(II) hydroxide
solution
ppt dissolves
white ppt of zinc white ppt of zinc ppt dissolves
Zn2+ colourless
hydroxide hydroxide colourless solution
solution
ammonia gas is
produced on
warming with
dilute NaOH. This
NH4+ ammonium - no reaction -
gas has a pungent
smell and turns
moist red litmus
paper blue
[Lead(II) ions can be distinguished from aluminium ions by the insolubility of lead(II) chloride.]