Qualitative analysis

Teaching notes
These are not worksheets for practicals but can be used as a revision exercise along with the
PowerPoint or for adding observations from experiments.
The answer tables or PowerPoint could be used as a starting point to compare the students’
practical results with those expected or as revision where the blanks can be filled in.
There is also a set of Matching interactive activities that could be used as a quick test of the
group’s knowledge of the various tests for anions, cations, gases and flame tests. They can also
be printed to give quick and easy cut and paste versions – why not put them all together for a
really challenging activity!

Answers

Tests for anions

Anion Test Result

carbonate bubbles of
add dilute acid
(CO32-) carbon dioxide produced
add dilute nitric acid, then
chloride
add aqueous white precipitate
(Cl-) in solution
silver nitrate
add dilute nitric acid, then
bromide
add aqueous cream precipitate
(Br-) in solution
silver nitrate
add dilute nitric acid, then
iodide
add aqueous yellow precipitate
(I-) in solution
silver nitrate
sulphate acidify then add aqueous
white precipitate
(SO42-) in solution barium chloride

Tests for cations

Cation Add aqueous sodium hydroxide

white precipitate, soluble in excess leaving a colourless

aluminium (Al3+)
solution

magnesium (Mg2+) white precipitate, insoluble in excess

calcium (Ca2+) white precipitate, insoluble in excess

copper (Cu2+) light blue precipitate, insoluble in excess

iron (II) (Fe2+) green precipitate, insoluble in excess

iron (III) (Fe3+) brown precipitate, insoluble in excess

© www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 Page 1 of 5

 Qualitative analysis

Tests for gases

Gas Test and result

ammonia
turns damp red litmus paper blue
(NH3)

carbon dioxide
turns lime water milky
(CO2)

chlorine
turns damp blue litmus paper red then bleaches it
(Cl2)

hydrogen
`pops’ with a lighted splint
(H2)

oxygen
relights a glowing splint
(O2)

Flame tests

Metal Test result

barium
pale green
(Ba)

calcium
orange/red
(Ca)

copper
green/blue
(Cu)

lithium
crimson red
(Li)

sodium
orange
(Na)

potassium
lilac
(K)

© www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 Page 2 of 5

 Qualitative analysis

Tests for anions

Task
Fill in the table to show the test and positive result that is used to identify each anion.

Anion Test Result

carbonate
(CO32-)

chloride
(Cl-) in solution

bromide
(Br-) in solution

iodide
(I-) in solution

sulphate
(SO42-) in solution

© www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 Page 3 of 5

 Qualitative analysis

Tests for cations

Task
Fill in the table with observations when sodium hydroxide is added to different cations.

Observation when aqueous

Cation
sodium hydroxide is added

aluminium
(Al3+)

magnesium
(Mg2+)

calcium
(Ca2+)

copper
(Cu2+)

iron (II)
(Fe2+)

iron (III)
(Fe3+)

© www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 Page 4 of 5

 Qualitative analysis

Tests for gases

Task
Fill in the table with the test for each gas and what you would expect to see if that gas was
present.

Gas Test and result

ammonia
(NH3)
carbon dioxide
(CO2)
chlorine
(Cl2)
hydrogen
(H2)
oxygen
(O2)

Flame tests

Task
Fill in the table with the colour of flame you would see when each metal is heated.

Metal Test result

barium (Ba)

calcium (Ca)

copper (Cu)

lithium (Li)

sodium (Na)

potassium (K)

© www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 Page 5 of 5

 Teaching notes
This PowerPoint can be used as a standalone resource or
Qualitative analysis alongside the Word document. It could be used as a revision
tool or to compare class practical results with those expected.

There is also a set of Matching interactive activities that could

anions be used as a quick test of students’ knowledge of the various
tests for anions, cations, gases and flame tests. They can be
cations printed to give quick and easy cut and paste versions.
gas tests
flame tests

© www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 1 © www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 2

Tests for anions Tests for cations

Anion Test Result
bubbles of Cation Observation when aqueous
carbonate add dilute acid carbon dioxide sodium hydroxide is added
(CO32-) produced
white precipitate, soluble in excess
aluminium (Al3+)
chloride add dilute nitric acid, then white precipitate leaving a colourless solution
(Cl-) add aqueous silver nitrate
magnesium (Mg2+) white precipitate, insoluble in excess

bromide add dilute nitric acid, then cream precipitate calcium (Ca2+) white precipitate, insoluble in excess
(Br-) add aqueous silver nitrate
copper (Cu2+) light blue precipitate, insoluble in excess
iodide add dilute nitric acid, then yellow precipitate
(I-) add aqueous silver nitrate iron (II) (Fe2+) green precipitate, insoluble in excess

sulphate acidify then add aqueous iron (III) (Fe3+) brown precipitate, insoluble in excess
white precipitate
(SO42-) barium chloride
© www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 3 © www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 4

Tests for gases Flame tests

Gas Test and result Metal Test result

ammonia (NH3) turns damp litmus paper blue barium (Ba) pale green
calcium (Ca) orange/red
carbon dioxide (CO2) turns limewater milky
copper (Cu) green/blue
turns damp blue litmus paper red
chlorine (Cl2)
then bleaches it lithium (Li) crimson red
hydrogen (H2) ‘pops’ with a lighted splint sodium (Na) orange
potassium (K) lilac
oxygen (O2) relights a glowing splint

© www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 5 © www.teachitscience.co.uk 2013 21002 6