Substance Physical Chemical Test Observation Explanation Video link

appearance and
state at room
temperature
Oxygen (O2) Colourless, Insert a glowing splint into The glowing splint Oxygen supports burning/combustion of any fuel https://youtu.be/Gz5KeGJF1CM
odourless gas the gas relights (splint in this case)
Hydrogen (H2) Colourles, odourless Insert a lighted splint into The gas burns with a Hydrogen is itself a fuel. It burns in oxygen with
gas the gas pop sound. pop sound.
Carbon di Colourless. Pass the gas into test tube The limewater turns CO2 gas reacts with Ca(OH)2 to form insoluble
oxide (CO2) odourless gas containing limewater milky or a cloudy white calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
(solution of Ca(OH)2). white.
Chlorine (Cl2) Green, odourless Hold a DAMP litmus The litmus paper Chlorine reading with H2O to form HClO- ions
gas (any color) paper into will be bleached which have bleaching property.
the gas white
Ammonia Colourless gas with 1. Hold a DAMP RED The litmus paper NH3 reacts with H2O on the litmus paper:
(NH3) a strong pungent LITMUS PAPER in will turn blue. NH3 + H2O -> NH4+ + OH-
smell the gas. The OH- ions make the litmus paper go blue.
2. Dip a glass rod in Dense white smoke NH3 reacts with HCl to form NH4Cl, a sublimating
concentrated HCl white solid.
acid and then hold
the rod in the gas. NH3(g) + HCl -> NH4Cl(s)

Water Colourless odourless Add a few drops of the
liquid liquid to white anhydrous
copper(II)sulphate.
Heat the water and
note the temperature at
which it boils.
The white solid will CuSO4 + H2O -> CuSO4.5H2O
turn blue. White blue
If it boils at 100 Pure substances freeze/melt/boil/condense at a
degrees celcius, then fixed temperature, different from that for
water is pure mixtures.

E.g., Salt water has lower melting/freezing point

than pure water. So salt is sprinkled on road
surfaces to lower the freezing temperature of
water and melting temperature of ice.
 Test for positive ions:
Ion Test Observation Explanation Video link
+ + + 2+ 2+
Li /Na /K /Ca /Cu Conduct flame test. Red flame means Li+ ions are present The electrons absorb heat energy from the Bunsen
Steps: burner flame and jumps to higher energy shells.
1. Dip a clean platinum or nichrome Yellow flame means Na+ ions are The high energy states are unstable, so the
(alloy of nickel and chromium) wire present electrons fall back to lower energy states by
first into concentrated HCl acid and emitting energy. If the frequency of emitted
then into the salt. Lilac flame means K+ ions energy is within the visible light region of the
electromagnetic spectrum, we see colours. Each
2. Hold the wire in the roaring blue Orange-red flame means Ca2+ flame ion has its own distinct frequency pattern of
or non-luminous flame of Bunsen emitted energy, which acts as a “fingerprint" for
Burner. Blue-green flame means Cu2+ ion identifying the ion.

3. Note the flame colour.

Cu2+/Fe2+/Fe3+ Add NaOH solution to the salt solution. Blue precipitate means Cu2+ ions are
present
Dirty green precipitate means Fe2+
ions
Orange-red precipitate means Fe3+
ions
Cu2+/Fe2+/Fe3+ ions react with OH- ions of NaOH
solution to form insoluble Cu(OH)2 /
Fe(OH)2/Fe(OH)3
Cu2+ (aq) + OH- (aq)-> Cu(OH)2 (s)
Blue precipitate

Fe2+ (aq) + OH- (aq)-> Fe(OH)2 (s)

Dirty-green precipitate

Fe3+ (aq) + OH- (aq)-> Fe(OH)3 (s)

Orange-red precipitate

NH4+ Add warm NaOH solution to the salt A pungent-smelling gas evolves. Hold NH4+ (aq) + OH- (aq)-> H2O(l) + NH3 (g)
solution. a damp red litmus paper into the gas.
The paper turns blue.
 Test for negative ions:

Ion Test Observation Explanation Video

CO32- or Add the solid Fizzing All carbonates react with acids to give salt, CO2 and water. The fizz is from
HCO3- to any acid the carbon di oxide gas.
solution.
SO42- Add excess White precipitate SO42- (aq) + Ba2+ (aq) -> BaSO4 (s)
HNO3 acid to white
the salt,
followed by We add HNO3 or HCl acid in the beginning to remove any other ion like https://youtu.be/pKNo0rMh7bc
BaCl2 solution. CO32- which forms a white precipitate when Ba2+ ions are added. This way,
if a precipitate is still formed after addition of BaCl2 we know that the
precipitate is BaSO4 and not something else like BaCO3. We add HNO3 or
HCl acid and not H2SO4 because we are testing for SO42- ions present in the
salt and hence cannot add SO42- ions through the acid.
Cl-/Br-/I- Add excess • White precipitate,
HNO3 acid to if Cl- ions are • Ag+ (aq) + Cl-(aq) -> AgCl(s)
the salt, present White solid
followed by • + -
Ag (aq) + Br (aq) -> AgBr(s)
AgNO3 • Cream coloured Cream colored solid
solution. precipitate, if Br- • Ag+ (aq) + I-(aq) -> AgI(s)
ions are present Yellow solid

We add HNO3 acid in the beginning to remove any other ion like CO32-
• Yellow precipitate, which forms a white precipitate when Ag+ ions are added. This way, if a
if I- ions are precipitate is still formed after addition of AgNO3 solution we know that
present the precipitate is AgCl/AgBr/AgI and not something else like Ag2CO3. We
add HNO3 acid and NOT HCl acid because we are testing for Cl- ions
present in the salt and hence cannot add Cl- ions through the acid. We do
not add H2SO4 acid because Ag2SO4 is only partially soluble and will form
some precipitate.