Confirmatory Tests for Presence

of Cations
Belleca|Marcelino|Obusan
 Confirmatory Tests
Potassium Chromate Test
Lead
Silver Test
Silver
Thioacetamide Test
Antimony
Arsenic
Tin
Cadmium
Mercury
Bismuth Test
Bismuth
Potassium Ferrocyanide Test
Copper
Iron
Cobalt Test
Cobalt
DMG Test
Nickel
 Confirmatory Tests
Bromine Water Test
Manganese
Chromate Test
Chromium
Lake Test
Aluminum
Ammonium Oxalate Test
Calcium
Zinc Test
Zinc
Ammonium Biphosphate Test
Magnesium
Ammonium Test
Ammonium
Strontium Test
Strontium
Lithium Test
Lithium
 Potassium Chromate Test
Add 6M HCl dropwise
Observe the
to 10 drops of the
formation of a yellow
substance to acidify
precipitate
the solution

Add 5 drops of Heat the solution in a

Potassium Chromate water bath
 Potassium Chromate Test
Implications
Upon addition of HCl, the lead containing compound is
converted into PbCl2, which binds much better to Potassium
Chromate in order for the reaction to proceed further. The
yellow precipitate that will form is PbCrO4. This will confirm the
presence of Lead
 Silver Test

Add 6 M HCl dropwise Acidify with HNO3 until

to 10 drops of the the precipitate
substance reappears

Centrifuge and filter out

the liquid portion of the Add 1 mL water and
solution until the white concentrated 6M NH3
precipitate remains
 Silver Test
Implications
The white precipitate is Silver Chloride, which will confirm the
presence of Silver
 Thioacetamide Test

Add 6M NH3 to the

unknown solution

Acidify solution
Observe the color
with dropwise
of the precipitate.
addition of 6M HCl

Add 1 mL Heat in a hot water

Thioacetamide bath for 5 minutes.
 Thioacetamide Test
Implications
One of the products is a metal sulfide, which is indicated by the
color of the precipitate present.
Brick Red Precipitate (Antimony Sulfide)
Yellow Precipitate (Arsenic Sulfide)
Brown Precipitate (Tin (II) Sulfide)
Light Brown Precipitate (Tin (IV) Sulfide)
Green Yellow Precipitate (Cadmium Sulfide)
Black Precipitate (Mercury Sulfide)
Bismuth Test

Add 2 drops of 6M
HCl to 10 drops of
the substance

Add water dropwise

until a white
precipitate forms
 Bismuth Test
Implications
The white precipitate is Bismuth Chloride, which will confirm the
presence of Bismuth
Potassium Ferrocyanide Test
Add Potassium
Ferrocyanide to 10
drops of the
substance

Observe the color

of the forming
precipitate
 Potassium Ferrocyanide Test
Implications
There are two possible outcomes that may be drawn from this.
The first is the formation of a red-brown precipitate which will
confirm the presence of Copper; this is because this precipitate
is Copper (II) Ferrocyanide. The other outcome features a blue
precipitate in the form of Prussian Blue Dye (Iron (II)
Ferrocyanide)
 Cobalt Test

Add 5 drops of
KNCS to 10 drops
of the substance

Observe if there
Add 5 drops of
is a color change
Acetone and mix
in the solution
 Cobalt Test
Implications
The blue color of the resulting solution comes from Cobalt (IV)
Thiocyanate. This will confirm the presence of Cobalt.
 DMG Test

Add 6M NH3 to 10
drops of the substance
until the solution
becomes basic

Add 3 drops of DMG Observe the formation

Solution of a red precipitate
 DMG Test
Implications
The red precipitate is Nickel (II) Dimethylglyoxime, which will
confirm the presence of Nickel.
 Bromine Water Test
Add 6M NaOH Observe the
dropwise to 10 reaction and the
drops of the color change in the
substance solution

Observe the Add 5 drops of

formation of a Bromine Water
white precipitate solution
 Sodium Bismuthate Test
Implications
The white precipitate is Manganese Hydroxide. Upon adding
Bromine Water, the solution is expected to turn dark brown,
forming Manganic Hydroxide as a result of oxidation. This will
confirm the presence of Manganese.
 Chromate Test
Add 1 mL Hydrogen
Observe the
Peroxide to 10
formation of a
drops of the
yellow precipitate
substance

Add 6M NaOH Heat in a water

dropwise until the bath for a few
solution is basic minutes
 Chromate Test
Implications
The yellow precipitate is Chromate, which will confirm the
presence of Chromium
 Lake Test
Observe the formation of
Add 10 drops of litmus a blue precipitate floating
solution to 10 drops of the on a colorless liquid; the
substance solution will soon also turn
to blue due to adsorption.

Add dilute HCl dropwise to

Add concentrated NH4OH
acidify
 Lake Test
Implications
The white precipitate that will form is Aluminum Hydroxide. This
precipitate will adsorb the blue color present in the litmus
solution, which explains the color change. Should the reaction
proceed like this, it will confirm the presence of Aluminum.
 Ammonium Oxalate Test

Ensure first that the Observe if there is a

substance has a presence of a white
red-orange flame precipitate

Add concentrated
NH3 to 10 drops of Add Ammonium
the substance to Oxalate dropwise
make it basic
 Ammonium Oxalate Test
Implications
The white precipitate is Calcium Oxalate, which will confirm the
presence of Calcium
 Zinc Test
Neutralize the
Observe the
substance with
formation of a gray
dropwise addition
precipitate
of 6M NH3

Add 2 drops of
Slightly acidify with
Potassium
6M HCl
Ferrocyanide
 Zinc Test
Implications
The gray precipitate is Zinc (II) Potassium Ferrocyanide, which
will confirm the presence of Zinc
 Ammonium Biphosphate Test

Add Ammonium
Hydroxide to 10 drops
of the substance to
make the solution basic

Add 3 drops of
Observe the formation
Ammonium
of a white precipitate
Biphosphate
 Ammonium Biphosphate Test
Implications
The white precipitate is Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate,
which will confirm the presence of Magnesium
 Ammonium Test
Observe if there is a
Place 10 drops of the
change in color of the
substance
litmus paper

Place a piece of red

litmus paper and Heat the solution to
attach it on the bottom boil
of a small watch glass

Cover the beaker/test

Add 1 mL of 6M NaOH tube with the watch
glass setup
 Ammonium Test
Implications
The color change in the litmus is due to the fumes given off by
the solution during heating; these fumes are Ammonium gas.
 Strontium Test
Add 5 drops of
Ethanol to 10 drops
of substance

Add 3M Sulfuric Observe the

Acid dropwise to presence of a
precipitate the yellow-white
solution precipitate

Heat in a water
Centrifuge and
bath for a few
decant the liquid
minutes
 Strontium Test
Implications
The yellow-white precipitate is Strontium Sulfate, which will
confirm the presence of Strontium
 Lithium Test
Observe if there is a
Place 10 drops of the
change in color of the
substance
litmus paper

Place a piece of red

litmus paper and Heat the solution to
attach it on the bottom boil
of a small watch glass

Cover the beaker/test

Add 1 mL of 6M NaOH tube with the watch
glass setup
 Lithium Test
Implications
The color change in the litmus is due to the fumes given off by
the solution during heating; these fumes are Hydrogen gas and
the liquid left off is an aqueous solution of Lithium Hydroxide.
This confirms the presence of Lithium