alevel chemistry required practical 4 help pls!!

Hi! I am doing the practical soon but need help with the preparation since our teacher just told us to 'do it' with a sheet of vague instructions. The aim is to distinguish 9 ionic compounds: potassium iodide, potassium chloride, potassium bromide, potassium sulfate, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, ammonium chloride, barium chloride and magnesium chloride. I know what tests to do, I just need help with a few things:

- In what order would I be doing the tests? It states to do them in a logical sequence to prevent too many tests being done unnecessarily.
- What would the results table look like (what things in the top and along the side).

Thanks!!

Reply 1

BankaiGintoki

Original post by annoymous72

Hi! I am doing the practical soon but need help with the preparation since our teacher just told us to 'do it' with a sheet of vague instructions. The aim is to distinguish 9 ionic compounds: potassium iodide, potassium chloride, potassium bromide, potassium sulfate, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, ammonium chloride, barium chloride and magnesium chloride. I know what tests to do, I just need help with a few things:
- In what order would I be doing the tests? It states to do them in a logical sequence to prevent too many tests being done unnecessarily.
- What would the results table look like (what things in the top and along the side).
Thanks!!

Do carbonate -> sulfate -> halide test.
Because AgCO3 and Ag2SO4 are precipitates, they might give false positives if you start off with halide test.
BaCO3 forms due to carbonate, which is why sulfate test happens after carbonate.
It helps that carbonate releases CO2

(edited 1 month ago)