SBA #: 9

Date:

Topic: Qualitative analysis

Aim: To identify cations

Materials: sample of salts containing; calcium, aluminium, zinc, lead (II), iron (II), Iron
(III), Copper (II), and ammonium ions: Sodium hydroxide, aqueous ammonia, Potassium
Iodide solution, red and blue litmus paper.

Procedures:

1. Create a table using the following heading for the columns; cation, color of
precipitation formed when NaOH is added, ionic equation for the reaction
occurring, ionic equation for the reaction.
2. Carefully place a very small spatula of each salt into separate test tubes, label each
one with the symbol of the cation they contain.
3. Add 2cm3 of water to dissolve the salt.
4. Add a few drops of sodium hydroxide into each test tube and observe for
precipitate. Record your observations.
5. Continue adding sodium hydroxide in excess into each test tube and observe in the
precipitate will dissolve or not. Record your observations.
6. Record your results in your table.
7. Repeat step 1 to 6 but this time using aqueous ammonia.
8. Salts containing aluminium and lead will have the same results therefore to
distinguish between aluminium and lead, place a small amount into two separate
test tubes. Add 2 cm3 of water to dissolve.
9. Add drop by drop potassium iodide solution to each and observe the precipitate
the will form. (Lead will for a bright yellow precipitate).
10. Record your observations in your table.
Results:

TABLE SHOWING THE EFFECT OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION ON CATIONS

Cation Colour of Equation for the reactant Effect of adding excess

precipitation after sodium hydroxide solution
dropwise addition on the precipitate
of sodium
hydroxide solution
(Calcium) White Ca2+ (aq) + 2OH-(aq)Ca(OH)2(s) Precipitate is insoluble in
Ca2+ excess , therefore it
remains
(Aluminium) White Al3+(aq) + 3OH-(aq)Al(OH)3(s) Precipitate is soluble in
Al3+ excess, it dissolves and
forms a colourless
solution.
(Zinc) White Zn 2+ (aq) + 2OH-(aq)Zn(OH)2(s) Precipitate is soluble in
Zn 2+ excess , it dissolves and
forms a colourless
solution
(Lead II) White Pb2+ (aq) + 2OH-(aq)Pb(OH)2(s) Precipitate is soluble in
Pb2+ excess , it dissolves and
forms a colourless
solution
(Iron II) Green , turns Fe2+ (aq) + 2OH-(aq)Fe(OH)2(s) Precipitate is insoluble in
Fe2+ brown on standing excess , therefore it
remains
(Iron III) Red- brown Fe3+(aq) + 3OH-(aq)Fe(OH)3(s) Precipitate is insoluble in
Fe3+ excess , therefore it
remains
(Copper II) Blue Cu2+(aq) + 2OH-(aq)Cu(OH)2(s) Precipitate is insoluble in
Cu2+ excess , therefore it
remains
NH4+ No precipitation. NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq)NH3(g)+
Ammonia is H2O(l) ______
evolved on
warming, which
turns moist red
litmus paper blue.
 TABLE SHOWING THE EFFECT OF AQUEOUS AMMONIA ON CATIONS

Cations Colour of precipitate Equation for the reaction Effect of adding excess
after drop wise aqueous ammonia on the
addition of aqueous precipitate
ammonia
(Calcium) Ca2+ No precipitate ---- ----

(Aluminium) White Al3+(aq) + 3OH- Precipitate is insoluble in

Al3+ (aq)Al(OH)3(s) excess, therefore it
remains.
(Zinc) White Zn 2+ (aq) + 2OH- Precipitate is soluble in
Zn 2+ (aq)Zn(OH)2(s) excess; it dissolves and
forms a colourless
solution.
(Lead II) White Pb2+ (aq) + 2OH- Precipitate is insoluble in
Pb2+ (aq)Pb(OH)2(s) excess, therefore it
remains.
(Iron II) Green , turns brown Fe2+ (aq) + 2OH- Precipitate is insoluble in
Fe2+ on standing (aq)Fe(OH)2(s) excess, therefore it
remains.
(Iron III) Red-brown Fe3+(aq) + 3OH- Precipitate is insoluble in
Fe3+ (aq)Fe(OH)3(s) excess, therefore it
remains.
(Copper II) Cu2+ Blue Cu2+(aq) + 2OH- Precipitation is soluble in
(aq)Cu(OH)2(s) excess; it dissolves and
forms a deep blue
solution.

Discussions:

Calcium hydroxide, iron (II) hydroxide, Iron (II) hydroxide and Copper (II) hydroxide are
basic hydroxide which does not react with sodium hydroxide. When all the metals ions have
been precipitated out and excess sodium hydroxide solution is added, these precipitates remain.
Aluminium hydroxide, zinc hydroxide and lead (II) hydroxide are amphoteric hydroxides, which
react with the strong alkali, sodium hydroxide. When all the metal ions have been precipitated
out and excess sodium hydroxide solution is added, these precipitates react with the sodium
hydroxide forming soluble salts that dissolve, hence the precipitate dissolves and a solution is
formed. Ammonium hydroxide is soluble; therefore, no precipitate forms on adding sodium
hydroxide to an ammonium salt. Warming the solution causes the ammonium ion and the
hydroxide ion to react and form ammonia gas. If the ammonium salt is heated directly in a dry
test tube, ammonia gas is also produced: NH4Cl(s) NH3 (g) + HCl (g)

Aluminium hydroxide, lead (II) hydroxide, iron (II) hydroxide and iron (II) hydroxide do not
react with weak alkali, ammonium hydroxide. When all the metal ions have been precipitated out
and excess ammonium hydroxide solution is added, these precipitates remain. Zinc hydroxide
and copper (II) hydroxide react with ammonium hydroxide. When all the metals ions have been
precipitated out and excess ammonium hydroxide solution is added, these precipitates react with
the ammonium hydroxide forming complex soluble salts that dissolve, hence the precipitate
dissolves and a solution is formed. Combining the results of the test using sodium hydroxide
solution and aqueous ammonia, the only cations which cannot be distinguished are the Al3+ ions
and the Pb2+ ions. Both ions form a white precipitate with sodium hydroxide solution that is
soluble in excess and a white precipitate with aqueous ammonia that is insoluble in excess.
Therefore, it is necessary to perform a further test to distinguish between these two ions. The test
was performed by adding a few drops of potassium iodide solution to a solution containing the
metal cations. The Al3+ ions does not produce a precipitate, however, the Pb2+ ions reacts with
the iodide ions(I-) to produce a bright yellow precipitate of lead (II) iodide:Pb2+(aq)+2I-(aq)
PbI2 (s)

Reflection:
I have learnt that cations are positively charged ions. The cations present in a compound can be
identified by carrying out various tests on the compound. All hydroxide are insoluble except
ammonium hydroxide and those of the alkalis metals, the metals in group 1 of the periodic table
including sodium and potassium. A real-world application for qualitative cations test lab would
be to prepare a penny so you can tear it in half. To do this, one rubs sandpaper on a penny’s edge
and places it in hydrochloric acid. After several hours, the penny should be floating on the
surface of the liquid. Place the penny in a baking soda solution, neutralizing the leftover
hydrochloric acid. After this, rinse the penny in water and dry it in either ethanol or acetone.
Once dry, the penny should tear apart easily, as its zinc core is gone.
Conclusion:
An experiment was done to identify cations in the sample of salts using sodium hydroxide and
aqueous ammonia.
 Analysis and interpretation
Salts containing
Criteria Ca+2 Al+3 Zn+2 Pb+2 Fe+2 Fe+3 Cu+2 NH4+1
Correct ionic equation when NaOH /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2
was added
Include state symbols.
Correct ionic equation when aqueous /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 N/A
ammonia was added
Include state symbols
Total points (____/30) x 10 =