Experiment 4

Observing Chemical Reactions

Chemistry Department UCC

1st Year Practicals

Objectives

Test your powers of observation

Investigate the reaction of four inorganic
chemicals with five common laboratory
chemicals
Devise a system for determination of the
presence of these compounds in a
mixture of unknown composition
Apply this system to an unknown mixture
containing two different metal salts

Experimental

Four compounds: AgNO3, Mg(NO3)2,

Sr(NO3)2, Al(NO3)3
Five chemicals: HCl, H2SO4, HNO3, NH3,
NaOH
You will react each laboratory
chemical with each compound and
record your observations
Add all chemicals dropwise at all times

Table of Observations
Reagent

HCl
H2SO4
HNO3
NH3
NaOH

AgNO3

Mg(NO3)
2

Sr(NO3)2 Al(NO3)3

First test

0.5 mL of silver nitrate in a test

tube and add 3 drops of HCl
If you observe nothing then record
this also
A negative result is as important as
a positive result

Second and third tests

Repeat the first test using sulfuric

acid, then nitric acid in place of
hydrochloric acid
Record your observations in the
table
Record any effervescence, colour
change, precipitation

Fourth test

Add NH3 solution - a ppt may form

Redissolves after more NH3 added?

If redissolves, add nitric acid until

ppt reforms
Keep adding nitric acid dropwise
Does ppt redissolve again?
Record all observations

Fifth test

Add 1 drop of NaOH and wait for

30 seconds
If reaction has occurred add NaOH
If ppt redissolves add nitric acid
until a ppt is formed
Add more nitric acid, does ppt
dissolve again?

Identifying unknown
mixture

Having performed all tests on all four

compounds devise a method of
identifying presence of one of the
compounds in the unknown
Firstly test the method on a solution of
all four compounds
Identify which two metal compounds are
present in your unknown mixture A-F

Identifying unknown
mixture

Do all the steps of every test

Note the letters of your unknown
solutions in your write up
Each unknown contains two metal
salts
Must identify both salts in the
unknown

Report

Include your table of observations

Method of identification of metal
ions in the unknown solution
Brief discussion & conclusions
Read Exp. 5 and Exp. 6a for next
week