Al-Hadba University College 1st Class/Medical Chemistry

Department of Dentistry Reem Abed Al-Luhaiby

Practical / Lab 1
“Identification of some common
inorganic cations & anions”

1. Detection of Ag+
Hydrochloric acid or soluble chlorides precipitate white silver chloride
sediment from solutions containing soluble silver salts (e.g.silver nitrate).

AgNO3 + HCl   AgCl + HNO3

Procedure:

1. Add 0.5 - 1.0 ml of silver salt solution to a test tube.

2. Add 2 drops of (2M) HCl. (observe formation of AgCl white precipitate).

Al-Hadba University College 1st Class/Medical Chemistry
Department of Dentistry Reem Abed Al-Luhaiby
2. Detection of Cu+2

Copper hydroxide precipitates from copper sulfate CuSO4 solution after

adding drops of NaOH solution.

CuSO4 +2NaOH  Cu(OH)2 + Na2SO4

Procedure:

1. Add a few drops of sodium hydroxide solution to 5 ml of CuSO 4 solution.

2. The formation of a blue precipitate indicates the presence of copper (II) ions.

3. Detection of ( Na+ , K+ )

There is no precipitating factor for its ions .. Why?

All salts are easily soluble in water.

Procedure:

It is detected using dry analysis, which is flame detection, as it gives when

burning in the flame its distinctive colors
Al-Hadba University College 1st Class/Medical Chemistry
Department of Dentistry Reem Abed Al-Luhaiby
the wire platinum into the sodium salt solution and put it to the flame. Observe the
change of the flame color to strong yellow, And when placing the wire in a
potassium salt solution and put it back to the flame. Observe the change of the
flame color to violet.

4. Detection of Chloride ion (Cl- )

NaCl + AgNO3  AgCl + NaNO3

Procedure:

Add a few drops of silver nitrate solution to a test tube containing 0.5 - 1.0 ml
of chloride anions solution. As a result AgCl precipitate is formed.
Al-Hadba University College 1st Class/Medical Chemistry
Department of Dentistry Reem Abed Al-Luhaiby

5. Detection of Iodide ion ( I- )

Silver nitrate (AgNO3) reacts with iodide ions to precipitate yellow silver iodide.

KI + AgNO3  AgI + KNO3

Procedure:

Add a few drops of silver nitrate solution to 1 ml of iodide ions solution and
observe formation of a light-yellow precipitate of silver iodide.