AP Chemistry Color Review

Colors of Ions (most common)

Ions with unpaired d sublevel electrons are often colored.
Ions with all paired electrons are colorless (for example: i.e. Zn2+, Mg2+, Al3+).
Cu2+
MnO4
Ni2+
Fe2+
Fe3+
FeSCN2+

blue
purple
green
yellow or green
red or orange
blood red

Cr2O72
CrO42
Cu(NH3)42+
Co(H2O)62+
CoCl42

orange
yellow
bright blue
pink
blue

PbI2
AgI
AgCrO4
Cu(OH)2
CuO

yellow
pale yellow
red
light blue
black

Colors of Precipitates and Other Solids

Metallic sulfides are usually black or brown.
Chromates are usually yellow.
BaCO3
CaCO3
PbCl2
AgCl
TiO2
sulfur

white
white
white
white
white
yellow

Colors of Gases
Most gases are colorless.
NO2 is brown.
Cl2 is yellow.

Colors of Halogens When Dissolved in Nonpolar Solvents

Iodine is hot pink or purple.
Bromine is orange.
Chlorine is yellow green.

Colors of Indicators
starch + iodide
phenolphthalein in base
bromothymol blue in base

colorless
pink
blue

starch + iodine
phenolphthalein in acid
bromothymol blue in acid

blue-black
colorless
yellow

Flame Test Colors

Na+
K+
Ba2+

yellow
purple(pink)
green

Li+, Ca2+, Sr2+

Cu2+

red
blue-green

taken and adapted from material created by Kristen Henry-Jones

taken and adapted from material created by Kristen Henry-Jones