Im doing an "unknown" lab in chem. and we have done lots of tests and we are pretty sure we have calcium chloride(CaCl2).
Our teacher makes us prove our unknown with different tests.. We have already proved that we have a chlorine anion...
What is a test(s) we could to prove we have a calcium cation???
Please Help!!
Thank u!!!! Soooo much!!!
Our teacher makes us prove our unknown with different tests.. We have already proved that we have a chlorine anion...
What is a test(s) we could to prove we have a calcium cation???
Please Help!!
Thank u!!!! Soooo much!!!
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Since you don't mention the other possible cations you could have, then there is one which which will tell you definitively if it is calcium, and if not, help identify what it actually is. A flame test with a spectroscope.
Heat a sample in a flame and observe the wavelengths of light through a spectroscope. You will see a specific set of spectral lines which is unique to calcium. At the following link you will see the calcium spectrum: http://astro.u-strasbg.fr/~koppen/discha…
If you don't have a spectroscope then you can look for a characteristic color to the flame. In the case of calcium, the flame will turn a reddish-orange. How to do flame tests: http://chemistry.about.com/od/analytical…
If you had a list of possible cations in your unknown, then there may be some other chemical tests that could eliminate the other metals and confirm calcium.
=============== Follow up ================
Ms Ethiopian suggests the addition of sulfate ion. That's what I meant by other chemical tests, but it won't distinguish between Ba2+, Pb2+, Ag+, Ca2+, or Hg2^2+,
Heat a sample in a flame and observe the wavelengths of light through a spectroscope. You will see a specific set of spectral lines which is unique to calcium. At the following link you will see the calcium spectrum: http://astro.u-strasbg.fr/~koppen/discha…
If you don't have a spectroscope then you can look for a characteristic color to the flame. In the case of calcium, the flame will turn a reddish-orange. How to do flame tests: http://chemistry.about.com/od/analytical…
If you had a list of possible cations in your unknown, then there may be some other chemical tests that could eliminate the other metals and confirm calcium.
=============== Follow up ================
Ms Ethiopian suggests the addition of sulfate ion. That's what I meant by other chemical tests, but it won't distinguish between Ba2+, Pb2+, Ag+, Ca2+, or Hg2^2+,
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ITS AMAZINGIt may help. http://ecdeal.info/419423/calcium-chloride
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ITS AMAZINGIs it you want? http://goodsyard.info/419370/cacl2
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You could try adding dilute sulfuric acid into a solution of calcium chloride and wait for white precipitate to be formed.