GENERAL CHEMISTRY II

QUALITATIVE ANION
TESTS
LAB 11
Bezawit Wube

Students will have the opportunity to identify commonly occurring

anions and study some of the reactions used for their identification.
They will use precipitation reaction and evolution of gas to identify
anions.

Objectives:

To identify some commonly occurring anions

To study some of the reactions used for their identification

Materials:

Household Bleach, 2 mL
Distilled water
Toothpicks
From LabPaq 2 Beaker, 50 mL, plastic
1 Cylinder-25-mL
1 Pencil, marking
1 Test Tube (5), 13 x 100 mm in Bubble Bag
1 Well-Plate-24
Experiment Bag Qualitative Anion
Tests
1 Ammonium Molybdate, 0.2 M - 2 mL in Pipet
1 Aqueous Ammonia, 6 M, NH4OH - 4 mL in Pipet
1 Barium Chloride, 0.3 M - 2 mL in Pipet
1 Hydrochloric Acid, 6 M - 8 mL in Dropper Bottle
1 Nitric Acid, 6 M - 2.5 mL in Pipet
1 Organic Reagent - 1.5 mL in Vial
2 Pipet, Empty Short Stem
1 Silver Nitrate, 0.1 N - 6 mL in White Dropper
Bottle
1 Sodium Bromide, 0.1 M - 2.5 mL in Pipet
1 Sodium Carbonate, 0.25 M - 2.5 mL in Pipet
1 Sodium Chloride, 0.1 M - 2.5 mL in Pipet
1 Sodium Iodide, 0.1 M - 2.5 mL in Pipet
1 Sodium Phosphate, 0.1 M - 2.5 mL in Pipet
1 Sodium Sulfate, 0.1 M - 2.5 mL in Pipet
1 Sodium Sulfide, 0.1 M - 2.5 mL in Pipet
1 Unknown - 5 mL in Pipet
Special Papers Bag Special Papers
Bag-CK-101
1 Lead Acetate Strips - 2 in Bag 2"x 3" Assembly

Procedure:
1. Before beginning, set up a data table similar to the Data Table: Qualitative
Anion Tests in the
Lab Report Assistant section.
2. Each anion tested will require the use of three separate test tubes.
Complete all of the
following tests on one solution, record your observations, and then
thoroughly clean and dry
the test tubes before beginning tests on the next solution.
3. After consecutively testing the identified anions, perform the same tests
on the unknown
solution to conclusively determine its identity.
4. First test tube:
a. Put 8 drops of the anion to be tested in a clean small test tube.
b. Add 8 drops of hydrochloric acid to the anion solution. Note the
appearance of the solution
plus any evolution of gas and odors of gas.
5. Second test tube:
a. Put 8 drops of the anion solution in a second test tube.
b. Add 3 drops of silver nitrate solution.
c. Note the colors of any precipitates formed.
d. Write a net ionic equation for any reaction that produces a precipitate.
e. Acidify the test tube by adding a few drops of nitric acid.
f. Mix well and note if the precipitate dissolves or remains.
6. Third test tube: Per the following, perform the appropriate confirmation
test for this anion.
NOTE: Where the following instructions call for gently warming a chemical
place the test
tube containing the chemical into a 50-mL beaker of hot tap water for a few
minutes.
Bromide (Br-) and Iodide (I-): (First make fresh chlorine water by
combining in a graduated
cylinder approximately 1ml of bleach, 5ml of tap water, and 6 drops of HCl;
stir or shake.

Then label an empty pipet and suck up this chlorine solution for use here.) To
10 drops of the
test solution add 2 to 3 drops of the organic reagent (hexanes or similar) and
several drops
of chlorine water. Shake well and allow the lower layer to settle out. Note the
color in the
organic reagent layer. A brown or gold color indicates bromine and a reddishviolet or pink
color indicates iodine.
Carbonate (CO3
2-): Acidify 20 drops of the solution with 2 drops of HCl. Carbonates produce
an odorless gas (CO2) which should produce a precipitate when bubbled
through a saturated
calcium hydroxide solution. For the purpose of this experiment you may
distinguish this gas
from hydrogen sulfide by its lack of odor (See sulfide test, S2-).
Chloride (Cl-): To 6 drops of the test solution add 2 drops of AgN03, silver
nitrate solution.
A white precipitate that dissolves readily when the solution is made definitely
basic with
aqueous ammonium indicates the presence of the chloride ion.
Phosphate (PO4 3-): Acidify 10 drops of the test solution with 1 drop of
HNO3, nitric acid, and
add 7 drops of ammonium molybdate solution (shake it well before using).
Wait 30 seconds.
The phosphate should produce a yellow precipitate. Gentle warming may be
necessary to
obtain the precipitate.
Sulfate (SO4
2-): To 10 drops of the test solution add 5 drops of the BaCl 2, barium chloride
solution. A white precipitate that is insoluble in HCl indicates the presence of
sulfate.
Sulfide (S2-): Acidify 10 drops of the test solution with HCl. The odor of
hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
should be apparent (it smells like rotten eggs!). Warm the solution
moderately and then hold
a small piece of moist lead acetate paper at the mouth of the test tube. If the
paper turns
black (caused by PbS) this indicates the presence of sulfide.

Data/ Observations:

Data Table: Qualitative Anion Tests

Name
Bromide

Test
Tube 1
w/HC
Nothing

Test Tube
2
w/AgNO3

White/milky

observed

w/HNO

Broken pieces ,
small white
smell/oil & water
particles/
mixture like;
remains
bromine
Dissolves/
Bubble
solution clear
observed/co2 gas
White residues/ White/milkish
produced
remains;
solution
solution is
colorless/no odor

No color/ no
odor
No color/ no
odor

Whitish with
residue
White milky/no
odor

Iodine

No color/no
odor

Light yellow/
remains
mucus like
solution/ no smell

Phosphate

No color/ no
odor

Light yellow /
Dissolve
mucus like
immediately
solution/no smell

Sulfate

No color/no
odor

White milky/no
odor

No color/odor

Brown water
color/no odor

No color/ no
odor

No color/no odor Remain /no

change

Carbonate
Chloride

Sulfide

Unknown

Test
Tube 3
Confirm
Yellow solution/

Purplish/ reddish
color ; two layers
: oily and watery:
iodine present
Light clear yellow
solution;

White residues/ Clear solution

with white
Remain; solution residue.
is colorless/no
odor
Remain /no
Color black
change
No color

Questions:
Classify your ions according to the following three
groups. Several of the anions belong to more than
one group.
Group 1: Anions that WILL NOT PRECIPITATE in the presence of
silver nitrate.

Group 2: Anions that WILL PRECIPITATE in the

presence of silver nitrate and the resulting
precipitates WILL DISSOLVE upon acidification with
nitric acid.

Group 3: Anions that WILL PRECIPITATE in the

presence of silver nitrate and the resulting
precipitates WILL NOT DISSOLVE upon acidification
with nitric acid
A. Write a net ionic equation for any reaction that produces a precipitate.
Ag+ (aq) + Cl (aq) AgCl (s)
Ag+ + Br- AgBr
B. Identify the anions that produce gas upon addition of HCl.
Carbonate (CO3 2- ) is the anion that produce gas upon addition of HCl.
C. Identify the anions that do not precipitate with silver nitrate.
For this lab, the anion that does not precipitate is the
unknown; which is F-, fluoride.
D. Identify the anions that react with silver nitrate
to form precipitates that dissolve when acidified
with nitric acid.
I-, iodide, is lightly soluble in nitric acid.

E. Identify the anions that react with silver nitrate to

form precipitates that do not dissolve when acidified
with nitric acid.

Chloride, Cl-, is the anion that reacts with silver nitrate to form precipitates
that do not dissolve when acidified with nitric acid.
2

F. What simple test (other than a specific confirmation test) would distinguish
between CO3 2- and NO3 - ?
When Silver Nitrate is added, it will precipitate CO32- ; but not, NO3-

Analysis:
While doing test tube #3 for Bromide, students will observe a yellowish
solution. This is the presence of bromine. White precipitation occurs when
silver nitrate is added and it does not dissolve when nitric acid is added to
the solution.
Carbonate will react with acid to evolve carbon dioxide.
2H+ + CO2-3 CO2 + H2O
Chloride is an ion that doesnt dissolve upon acidification with nitric acid.

For Phosphate, students can observe that the resulting precipitate dissolves
upon adding nitric acid.
Sulfate is an anion that doesnt dissolve upon acidification with nitric acid.
There is white residue remaining.
For sulfide, student should observe that the precipitate did not dissolve upon
the addition of nitric acid.
Conclusion:
By the end of this lab, student will be able to identify some of the common
anions frequently encountered in the laboratory.
Students will also be able to distinguish b/n groups of anions by observing if
the solution dissolves upon the addition of nitric acid.
For this lab, it was impossible to complete the lab because of a missing item,
lead acetate paper.