1.

OXIDES

Name of the compound Gas evolved and test

Original Colour Final Colour Residue
Formula Equation
1. Oxides of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, zinc, iron and copper do not decompose on heating.

Does not decompose (only changes colour)

Zinc Oxide Yellow when hot Residue turns white on
2
ZnO
White
White when cold cooling Eqn: ZnO  ZnO
(White) (Yellow)
Oxygen
Lead Dioxide Yellow residue fuses with Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
3 Chocolate brown Yellow glowing splinter
PbO2 test tube
Eqn: 2PbO2  2PbO + O2

Oxygen 
Red Lead Yellow residue fuses with Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
4 Red Yellow glowing splinter
Pb3O4 the test tube
Eqn: 2Pb3O4  6PbO +O2

1
 Oxygen 
Mercuric Oxide Silvery mirror on sides of Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
5 Red Silvery liquid glowing splinter
HgO test tube
Eqn: 2HgO  2Hg + O2

Oxygen 
Silver Oxide Silver residue at the Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
6 Greyish black Silver glowing splinter
Ag2O bottom of the test tube
Eqn: 2Ag2O  4Ag + O2

GAS =  PRECIPITATE = 
2. CARBONATES

Name of the compound Gas evolved test

Original Colour Final Colour Residue
Formula Equation

1 Sodium and Potassium carbonate do not decompose on heating

Carbon dioxide 
Calcium Carbonate White residue of calcium Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and
2 White White turns lime water milky
CaCO3 oxide obtained
Eqn: CaCO3  CaO + CO2

White residue of Carbon dioxide 

Magnesium Carbonate
3 White White magnesium oxide Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and
MgCO3 obtained turns lime water milky

2
 Eqn: MgCO3  MgO + CO2

Carbon dioxide 
4 Zinc Carbonate Yellow residue of zinc
Yellow when hot white Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and
ZnCO3 White oxide obtained which
when cold turns lime water milky
turns white on cooling
Eqn: ZnCO3  ZnO + CO2

Carbon dioxide 
Lead Carbonate Yellow residue fuses with Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and
5 White Yellow turns lime water milky
PbCO3 the sides of the test tube
Eqn: PbCO3 PbO + CO2

Carbon dioxide 
Copper Carbonate Black copper oxide Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and
6 Light green Black turns lime water milky
CuCO3 formed
Eqn: CuCO3  CuO + CO2

Carbon dioxide 
Ammonium carbonate Decomposes on exposure
7 White No residue to air and leaves no Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus
(NH4)2CO3 residue and turns lime water milky

3
 Ammonia 

Pungent, smelling, basic gas turns red litmus

blue and gives dense white fumes with a glass
rod of HCl acid

Water Vapour 

Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper

blue to pink

Eqn: (NH4)2CO3  2NH3 + H2O (vap) + CO2

3. BICARBONATES

Name of the compound Gas evolved test

Original Colour Final Colour Residue
Formula Equation

Carbon dioxide 
Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to
litmus and turns lime water milky
Sodium Bicarbonate White solid sodium
1 White White Water Vapour
NaHCO3 carbonate
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn: 2NaHCO3  Na2CO3 + H2O+CO2

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Potassium Bicarbonate
2 White
KHCO3
Calcium Bicarbonate
3 White
Ca(HCO3)2
Magnesium Bicarbonate
4 White
Mg(HCO3)2
Carbon dioxide 
Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus
and turns lime water milky
White solid potassium
White Water Vapour
carbonate
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn: 2KHCO3  K2CO3 + H2O+CO2
Carbon dioxide 
Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus
and turns lime water milky
White Calcium carbonate
White Water Vapour
residue
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn: Ca(HCO3) 2 CaCO3 + H2O+CO2
Carbon dioxide 
Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus
and turns lime water milky
White Magnesium Water Vapour
White
carbonate residue
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn: Mg(HCO3) 2  MgCO3 +
H2O+ CO2
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 Note: Calcium bicarbonate and Magnesium bicarbonate exists only in solution

4. NITRATES

Name of the compound Gas evolved test

Original Colour Final Colour Residue
Formula Equation
Oxygen 

Sodium Nitrate Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a

1 Colourless Pale yellow liquid Pale yellow liquid
NaNO3 glowing splinter

Eqn: 2NaNO3  2NaNO2 + O2

Oxygen 

Potassium Nitrate Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a

2 Colourless Pale yellow liquid Pale yellow liquid
KNO3 glowing splinter

Eqn: 2KNO3  2KNO2 + O2

Oxygen 

Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a

Calcium Nitrate glowing splinter
White residue of calcium
3 Colourless White
Ca(NO3)2 oxide
Nitrogen dioxide 

Reddish brown acidic gas

6
 Turns Potassium Iodide paper brown in colour

Eqn: 2Ca(NO3)2  2CaO + 4NO2 + O2

Salt decrepitates on heating

Oxygen 
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
Zinc Nitrate Colourless very Yellow when hot white White residue of Zinc oxide glowing splinter
4
Zn(NO3)2 deliquescent when cold obtained on cooling Nitrogen dioxide 
Reddish brown acidic gas
Turns Potassium Iodide paper brown in colour
Eqn: 2Zn(NO3)2  2ZnO + 4NO2 + O2

Salt decrepitates on heating

Oxygen 
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
Yellow residue of lead glowing splinter
Lead Nitrate
5 White deliquescent Yellow monoxide fuses with the Nitrogen dioxide 
Pb(NO3)2 test tube Reddish brown acidic gas
Turns Potassium Iodide solution brown in
colour
Eqn: 2Pb(NO3)2  2PbO + 4NO2 + O2

Oxygen 
Copper Nitrate Black residue of copper Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
6 Blue Black
Cu(NO3)2 oxide glowing splinter
Nitrogen dioxide 
7
 Reddish brown acidic gas
Turns Potassium Iodide solution brown in
colour
Eqn: 2Pb(NO3)2  2PbO + 4NO2 + O2

Oxygen 
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter
Mercuric Nitrate Silvery residue of mercury Nitrogen dioxide 
7 Colourless Silvery
on the test tube
Hg(NO3)2 Reddish brown acidic gas
Turns Potassium Iodide paper brown in colour
Eqn: Hg(NO3)2  Hg + 2NO2 + O2

Oxygen 
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter
Silver Nitrate Silvery residue of silver on Nitrogen dioxide 
8 Colourless Silver
the test tube
AgNO3 Reddish brown acidic gas
Turns Potassium Iodide paper brown in colour
Eqn: 2AgNO3  2Ag + 2NO2 + O2

Nitrous Oxide 
Ammonium Nitrate Completely disappears on
9 White No residue (laughing gas)
NH4NO3 heating
Water Vapour 

8
 Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn: NH4NO3  2H2O + N2O

5. HYDROUS SALTS

Name of the compound Original Gas evolved test

Final Colour Residue
Formula Colour Equation

Hydrated Copper Greyish white residue

Blue Water vapour
Sulphate of copper Sulphate.
A crystalline White anhydrous powder Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper blue to pink
On strong heating the
CuSO45H2O compound
residue turns black Eqn: CuSO45H2O  CuSO4 + 5H2O

Hydrated Sodium White White anhydrous Water vapour

B Carbonate crystalline White anhydrous powder residue of sodium Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper blue to pink
Na2CO310H2O solid carbonate Eqn: Na2CO310H2O  : Na2CO3 + 10H2O

6. Other compounds

Water vapour
Ammonium Decomposes with sparks
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper blue to pink
dichromate giving out heat and Green powder of
a Orange Nitrogen
forms a green fluffy chromic oxide
(NH4)2Cr2O7 Colourless neutral gas
powder
Eqn: (NH4)2Cr2O7  : Cr2O3 + N2 + 4H2O
Disappears from the Ammonia
No residue at the
b Ammonium Chloride White solid bottom of the test tube Basic gas turns red litmus blue and gives dense white
bottom of the test tube
and settles down as a fumes with a glass rod dipped in HCl
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NH4Cl white solid on the upper Hydrogen Chloride
cooler parts of the test An acidic gas gives dense white fumes with a glass rod
tube dipped in Ammonium Hydroxide
Eqn: NH4Cl  NH3+ HCl
Iodine – Camphor – Naphthalene do not undergo any chemical change when heated, but undergo sublimation
Eg: Iodine crystals  Iodine vapour

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