Laboratory Activity 5

Analysis of Group V Cation

NAME Nikoh Anthony C. Ewayan

1. You have an unknown solution and you want to determine if it contains ammonia. How
will you detect its presence in the laboratory analysis? Please provide two ways to
analyze its presence and explain your chosen technique in determining the ammonia.

ANSWER
We need to add a dilute sodium hydroxide solution and gently heat an unknown
solution to identify the presence of ammonia. If ammonium ion is present, it can be detected
by a pungent odor or choking stench, or by analyzing it using moistened red litmus paper,
which turns blue when ammonium ion is present.

𝑁𝐻4(𝑎𝑞) + 𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻  𝑁𝐻3(𝑔) + 𝑁𝑎(𝑠) + 𝐻2𝑂(𝑙)

2. In the analysis of unknown solution, it was detected that there is the presence of
ammonium ion salts. How will do the chemical test of potassium ion in the solution that
contains ammonium ion salts? Explain your answer.

ANSWER
We will add perchloric acid to the potassium forming a white precipitate of
potassium perchlorate since ammonium salt does not react to the perchloric acid and
potassium reaction.

HCIO4 + K  KCIO4

After having the potassium perchlorate solution, we can use the flame test since potassium
perchlorate is a potassium salt.