qualitative analysis

• ammonia


  • compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3.
  • colourless, alkaline gas with a characteristic pungent smell
• flame test


  • a procedure used in chemistry to detect the presence of certain elements, primarily metal ions, based on each element's characteristic emission spectrum
  • the colour of flames also depends on temperature
• cation


  • ion with a positive charge
  • metals generally form cations, as does hydrogen
  • ammonium is another cation
  • salts are made up of two parts: a cation + an anion
• nichrome


  an alloy (mixture) of nickel + chromium, which is chemically inert and has a very high melting temperature
• lumious flame

  the 'orange' or 'safety' flame of the Bunsen Burner is described as a luminous flame
• non-luminous flame


  • the 'blue' or 'roaring' flame of the bunsen burner is described as a non-luminous flame
  • it is much hotter than the safety flame because complete combustion occurs
• ammonium


  ammonium is a positive ion (cation) with the formula NH4+
• anion

  • a negative ion
  • non-metal elements from anions e.g. chloride, bromide + oxide
  • polyatomic anions like sulfate, hydroxide + carbonate also exist
• precipitate

  • precipitation is the creation of a solid from a solution
  • when the reaction occurs in a liquid solution, the solid formed is called the 'precipitate'
• chemical test

  a chemical reaction that can be used to identify a compound or part of a compound ,for example using a colour change or the formation of a precipitate
• physical test


  a physical change (e.g. boiling temperature or melting temperature) that can be investigated in order to identify a substance, for example pure water boils at exactly 100c
• anhydrous


  of a compound - not containing water e.g. anhydrous copper (II) sulfate