Science Lab Experiments

I.
II.

III.

Objective: To perform chemical tests on a given salt to find the anion and cation of
the salt.
Materials required:
1. Dilute acid
2. Nitric acid
3. Silver nitrate
4. Lead nitrate
5. Sodium hydroxide
6. Aluminium
7. Barium chloride
8. Ammonia
9. Test-tubes and test tube holder
10. Spatula
11. Bunsen-burner
12. Distilled or normal water
13. Beaker
14. Litmus papers
15. limewater
Procedure:
1. Add distilled or normal water to the salt in a beaker and create a solution of
the salt.
2. If the salt is insoluble in water, add nitric acid to the solution which would test
positive for nitrate if there is any chemical change that has undergone in the
solution.
3. Pour the chemicals a few amounts in the test-tubes.
4. Add different chemicals to the solution to find the anion and cation.
5. Chemicals to be added (in the chemistry notes table).

IV.

6. These notes and tables help in finding out the anions and cation.
Observation:

1. After every test, if the test results positive for any test, stop the test and try to
make sure, with various different tests, that the anion or cation so achieved is
correct.
V. Extensions and improvements:
The chemicals that give out different coloured solutions while reacting with
different chemicals. But, the chemicals which do not give out coloured
solutions after the reaction are not easy to identify.
1. Carbonate: add copper chloride to the solution. A blue precipitate is formed is it is positive
2. Nitrate:
Ion

Colour

Co2+

rose

Co3+

violet

Cr3+

violet

Cu2+

blue

Fe2+

pale green, pale violet

Fe3+

yellow-brown

Mn2+

pale pink

Ni2+

blue-green