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ID
: 1205675
Name of partners
Practical Group
:3
Experiment
Date
Lecturer
Submission Date
ii.
To identify the ions present in standard solution, tap water and unknown water
Introduction:
The list of the main dissolved mineral components of natural waters include the ions
Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, H+, Cl-, HCO3-, CO32-, SO42- and gases O2, N2, CO2 and H2S. In small
amounts such ions contain: Fe2+, Fe3+, Mn2+, Br-, I-, F-, BO2-, HPO42-, SO32-, HSO4-, S2O32-, HS-,
HSiO3-, HSO3- and gases CH4, Ar, He, Rn. Other substances are in water in the smaller
amounts. Water always contains ions H+ and OH- in small amounts. The active concentration
of hydrogen ions in natural and waste water is usually characterized by pH.
Hydrocarbonic ions occur in natural waters owing to dissolution the limestone by the
carbonic acid. These anions are in all waters, except for soft waters with pH lower than 4. In
fresh sources they dominate. The level of pH of the majority of natural waters is caused just
by the presence of these ions in them. The contents of hydrocarbonic ions in superficial
waters usually do not exceed 250 mg/l, and in waters of northern reservoirs and number of
the mountain rivers their concentration is about 50 mg/l. The concentration of ions SO42- in
natural waters containing the ions Ca2+, does not exceed 1500 mg/l owing to small solubility
of CaSO4, however in well mineralised waters as a result of reduction of activity of ions the
concentration of ions SO42- is frequently higher. So, in sea water with the contents of salts of
35 g/kg and Ca2+ - 0,0104 mole/kg the concentration of SO42- achieves 2,7 g/kg. Galogenic
ions are submitted in natural waters mainly by chloride ion. The contents of chloride ions in
water of natural reservoirs varies over a wide range. In river and lake waters, the
in mountain breeds. In water of the rivers about 2*10-8 g/l of uranium, about 10-9 mg/l of
radium.
Materials:
Standard solution
Tap water
1 M NH4OH
NH4Cl
(NH4)2C2O4
Na2HPO4
1 M HCl
K4Fe(CN)6
K3Fe(CN)6
0.2 M AgNO3
0.25 M (NH4)2MoO4
20 % NaOH
Apparatus:
Test tubes
Litmus paper
Beaker
Hot plate
Measuring cylinder
Dropper
Procedure:
Part 1: Standard. Solutions containing all the ions were used to familiarize you with the tests.
A blank sample of demineralized water was run alongside it.
Part 2: Tap water. 200 250 cm3 of tap water was evaporated to about one- third of the
original volume. Ions present were analyzed. If test is very faint, it indicates a trace.
Part 3: Unknown. A sample of solution was obtained in a small, clean beaker. The results
were analyzed and recorded.
Tests:
Ca2+
1 mole dm-3 NH4OH was added until blue to litmus into 4 cm3 of water sample. When dark
precipitate formed, it was filtered off, a little NH4Cl and (NH4)2C2O4 were added. It was
placed in water bath and warmed for a minute. A white precipitate indicates calcium in the
Mg2+
Fe3+
A few drops of 1 mole dm-3 HCl and a little [K4Fe(CN)6] were added to a fresh sample of
Fe2+
Cl-
3-
PO4
NH4-
NO3
Smell
ii.
A drop of HCl
Results:
Ions
Standard solution
Tap water
Lake water
Ca2+
White precipitate
No precipitate formed.
No precipitation was
formed. Positive
Clear solution.
Formation of white
No crystalline formed.
Traces of white
Mg2+
Fe3+
crystalline precipitate.
crystalline precipitate
Positive
formed.
blue solution.
solution.
solution.
No changes
No changes
formed. Positive.
Fe2+
Cl-
yellow to cloudy.
unchanged.
solution formed.
Positive.
PO43-
remained unchanged.
No changes.
Positive.
NH4+
remains unchanged.
remains unchanged.
NO3-
paper.
paper.
Gas evolved.
Gas evolved.
Discussion:
Water sample is the main objective in this experiment to determine the ions are
present in a standard solution, tap water and unknown sample. These ions are detected by the
formation of a coloured solution or a precipitate when special reactants are added to the water
samples such as NH4Cl, (NH4)2C2O4, Na2HPO4, AgNO3, potassium hexacyanoferrate(II),
potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) and (NH4)2MoO4.
For standard solution which contains all the ions was tested to get used with the test
and to observe and compare the results. For calcium ion test in standard solution contains
high calcium ions contents due to the formation of white precipitate after reacted with NH4Cl
and (NH4)2C2O4. The precipitating agent for Ca2+ is the oxalate anion, C2O42-. Initially, the
solution was acidic with containing undissociated oxalic acid, H2C2O4. The calcium ion will
not be precipitated in this form. After heating, the urea, (NH2)2CO, decomposed slowly to
form -OH, which it neutralized the oxalic acid to release the oxalate anion. Thus, forming
white calcium oxalate precipitate. In tap water and unknown samples, it is found to have no
trace amount of white precipitate which indicated that there is no concentration of calcium
ions.
NH4OH + H2O NH3 + 2H2O............( red litmus to blue)
AgNO3 ions were dissociated in order to test the presence of chloride ions each of the
water samples that were added with AgNO3. Then, the Ag+ ions reacted in the presence of Clions. AgCl is insoluble in water and it precipitated to become solid. The colour of AgCl solid
is cloudy white and turns purplish under sunlight. This shows that the standard solution and
boiled tap water contains chloride ions whereas for unknown solution there is no changes in
solution which the white turbidity does not turns into purple solution.
AgNO3 Ag+ + NO3Ag+ + Cl- AgCl
For the phosphate test, the red litmus paper was changed into blue before adding the
HNO3. After experiment conducted, the standard solution and the tap water contained
phosphate. The solution turns bright yellow after added by (NH4)2MoO4 and let to be boiled.
The phosphate react with Ammonium Molybdate, I2(NH4)2MoO4 to form Ammonium
Phosphomolybdate (NH4)3PO4.12MoO3 obtained as a yellow precipitate. It is more commonly
called as the Ammonium Molybdate Phosphomolybdic Acid or the Ammonium Phosphomolybdate. For the unknown solution pale yellow precipitate formed indicating it is the trace
amount of phosphate presence in the water sample. In unknown water sample, there was no
change in the water sample therefore eliminating for the presence of phosphate in the sample.
PO43- + I2(NH4)2MoO4 + 24H2O (NH4)3PO4.12MoO3 + 2INH4 + 12H2O
For the ammonium ions only the standard solution contains ammonium when it reacts
with sodium hydroxide. The litmus paper turn red to blue which indicate the gas is alkaline.
For the nitrate test, there was no nitrate ions present in tap water and unknown
solution except the standard solution. Devarda's alloy (Cu/Al/Zn) is a reducing agent. When
reacted with nitrate in sodium hydroxide solution, ammonia is liberated. The ammonia
formed may be detected by its characteristic odor, and by moist red litmus.
3 NO3- + 8 Al + 5 OH- + 18 H2O 3 NH3 + 8 [Al(OH)4]There are some precaution steps that need to be considered during the experiment was
being carried out. Firstly, gloves are worn and HCl was carefully handled as it is corrosive
and cause irritation to skin. Potassium hexacyanoferrate(II) is a bit toxic, thus it must be
handle carefully as well. Inhalation of high concentration of ammonia gas was being avoided
as it may cause damage to lung. Lastly, goggles were worn to protect eyes from being directly
contacts with chemical.
Conclusion:
In this experiment, tap water contains chlorine ions and phosphate ions only while the
unknown sample (lake water) contains a small amount of magnesium ions. This shows that
different water samples have different concentration of ions. Thus, I am able to investigate
the quality of water samples and identified the ions present in tap water and the unknown
water samples with comparing to the standard solution.
References: