Cation Tests 1: Qualitative Analysis

Salt

Test Description

Observations

Chemical
Equations/Conclusion

Ag+

We added a little amount

of Ag+ salt into the test tube
and dissolved it by adding
some distilled water on it and
shaked it well. Then we
added diluted HCl dropwise
and observed the changes.

Ag+ was a shiny grayish

salt. It fully dissolved in water
and formed a transparent
solution. When diluted HCl
was added, it formed white,
foam-like precipitation.

Formation of the insoluble

chloride:
Ag+ Cl AgCl(s)

We added a little amount

of Cr3+salt into the test tube
and dissolved it by adding
some distilled water on it and
shaked it well. Then we
added a few drops of conc.
HNO3 to this solution and
boiled it by using a Bunsen
burner in order to oxidize any
Fe2+ to Fe3+.
We added a little NHCl(s)
to the solution and dissolved
it, then we put a piece of red
litmus paper in to the test

The salts colour was dark

purple and it formed a dark
blue-purple solution. When
conc. HNO3 was added and
boiled, the solution turned
dark blue. The red litmus
paper didnt change its colour
initially but turned blue after
the addition of conc. aq.
ammonia. The solution also
changed its colour to a
grayish colour, forming a
precipitation, from a dark
blue tone after the addition of

Group I

Cr3+
Group III

AgCl Ksp = 1.8 x 10

The cation is Ag which
forms AgCl with the Cl
anion from HCl.
(Another cation in this
group is Pb)
Alkaline buffer solution:
NH + HO(l) NH + OH

The buffer, NH , keeps the

[OH] low, thus only the
precipitates of hydroxide
that are formed are the
ones with very low
solubility products like

tube. After this, we added

conc. aq. ammonia
dropwise until the solution
was just alkaline and
observed the changes.

conc. aq. ammonia.

Cr(OH), Ksp = 10.

(Other cations in this group

are Fe, Fe, Al)

Cu2+
Group II

We prepared a solution
with Cu2+ with the same
procedure used in first two
salts. Then we added diluted
HCl dropwise. After this we
passed the hydrogen
sulphide gas in to the
solution, in the fume hood
and observed changes.

Cu2+ was a turquoise salt

which formed a transparent
turquoise solution. With
addition of the acid it became
more transparent. When the
hydrogen sulphide was
passed through the solution,
a black precipitate was
formed and turned the whole
solution black.

HS in acidified solution:
HS 2H + S

The acidification of the

solution, addition of diluted
HCl, shifts the equilibrium to
the left, since it wants to
consume the excess H,
which also reduces the
concentration of S.
Therefore the only
precipitates formed are the
very insoluble sulphide
precipitates which can be
formed with so little S like
CuS, Ksp = 10.
(Other cations in this group

are Pb, Hg)

Ni2+
Group IV

We repeated the same

procedure in the third group
salt. Then, we passed
hydrogen sulphide gas
through the alkaline solution
got from the the earlier
process, and observed
changes.

The Ni2+was a light green

salt and formed a very light
green transparent solution.
When the conc. ammonia
was added, the solution
became transparent turned
into a darkish blue colour.
When the hydrogen sulphide
gas was added, a black
precipitate was formed.

HS in alkaline buffer
solution:
HS 2H + S

By making an alkaline
solution, we removed some
of the H in the solution by
making that ions and base
interact, thus we allowed
equilibrium to shift right in
order to compensate for the
lost. This also
increased the concentration
of S ions. Therefore this
allowed some S precipitates
to form like NiS, Ksp = 10.
(Other cations in this group
are Mn, Zn)

Ba2+
Group V

We repeated the same

process as in the third salt
group to obtain a just alkaline

The Ba2+ salt was white

and formed a slightly cloudy
white somewhat transparent

CO in alkaline buffer
solution:

salt solution. Then, we added

some of (NH)CO solution
and warmed it. We were
careful not to boil it.

solution. When the HNO was

added, it got more cloudy
and white, but when boiled it
turned transparent. When the
conc. ammonia was added,
the solution had a
transparent, slightly bluepurple colour to it. When we
added the (NH)CO solution,
the solution turned gray with
purple undertones and it was
more creammy when heated.

CO + HO(l) HCO + OH
NH + HO(l) NH + OH

The OH from the hydrolysis

of the carbonate ion is
absorbed by the ammonia
buffer keeping the
concentration of the
carbonate ion quite low so
only the most insoluble
carbonates ppt out. The more
soluble ones such as
magnesium doesn not ppt.
BaCO, Ksp = 8.1 x 10.
(Other cations in this group
are Ca)