Group V Cations

Ion Chemical Equations Involved Perceptible Results Principle Involved

Magnesium 2 Mg2+(aq) + 3 (NH4)2CO3(aq) + 5 H2O(l) -slightly hazy
MgCO3Mg(OH)25H2O(s) + 2 NH4HCO3(aq) + 2 NH4+ precipitate
NH4Cl(aq)+ (NH4)2CO3(aq) NH3(aq) + NH4HCO3(aq)

Mg2+(aq) + NH3(aq) +Na2HPO4(aq) Mg(NH4)PO4(s) + Na+(aq) -white crystalline

precipitate
(Svehla,1996,p.153)
Mg(NH4)PO4(s) + NH4OH(aq) no reaction - precipitate is
insoluble in 6N
ammonium hydroxide
(USPCI, 2007)
+ +
Potassium 1. K (aq) + HCl(aq) KCl(aq) + H (aq)
KCl(aq)
KCl(g)
K(g) K*(g)
K*(g) K(g) + hv
-violet flame
glacial acetic
2. K+(aq) + NaHC4H4O6(aq) acid
or ethanol
KHC4H4O6(s) + Na+(aq) -white crystalline
(Svehla,1996,p.156) precipitate

KHC4H4O6(s) + NH4OH(aq) ? -precipitate is soluble

in 6N ammonium
hydroxide and in
solutions of alkali
hydroxides and
carbonates
(USPCI, 2007)
Sodium 1. Na+(aq) + K2CO3(aq) no reaction -clear solution
Na+(aq) + K2H2Sb2O7(aq) Na2H2Sb2O7 (s) + 2 K+ +H2O -dense precipitate
(Soine and Wilson,1967,p.193)
2. . Na+(aq) + HCl(aq) NaCl(aq) + H+(aq)
NaCl(aq)
NaCl(g)
Na(g) Na*(g)
Na*(g) Na(g) + hv -intense yellow flame
 (USPCI, 2007)
Ammonium NH4+(aq) + NaOH(aq) NH3(g) + H2O(l) +
+ Na (aq) -evolution of ammonia
(Svehla,1996,p.160) gas, and gas turns
red litmus paper to
blue (USPCI, 2007)
Anions Class B
Sulfate 1. SO42-(aq) + BaCl2(aq) BaSO4(s) + 2 Cl-(aq) -white precipitate
(Svehla,1996,p.212)

a. BaSO4(s) + HCl(aq) no reaction -precipitate is

b. BaSO4(s) + HCl(aq) no reaction insoluble in
hydrochloric acid and
in nitric acid

2. SO42-(aq) + PbCH3COO(aq) PbSO4(s) + CH3COO-(aq) -white precipitate

(Svehla,1996,p.213) -precipitate is soluble
PbSO4(s) + 4 NH4CH3COO(aq) (NH4)2[Pb(CH3COO)4] (aq) + in ammonium acetate
(NH4)2SO4(aq) TS
(Svehla,1996,p.65) -clear solution
? 3. SO42-(aq) + HCl H2SO4 + Cl- (USPCI,2007)
Phosphate Orthophosphate:
1. HPO42-(aq) + 3 AgNO3(aq) Ag3PO4(s) + HNO3(aq) + 2 NO3-(aq) -yellow precipitate
a. Ag3PO4(s) + 2 HNO3(aq) AgH2PO4(aq) + 2 AgNO3(aq) -precipitate is soluble
b. Ag3PO4(s) + 6 NH4OH (aq) [Ag(NH3)2]3PO4(aq) + 6 H2O(l) in 2N nitric acid and in
(Svehla,1996,p.219) 6N ammonium
hydroxide
2. HPO42-(aq) + 4 (NH4)2MoO4(aq) + HNO3(aq) -yellow precipitate
(NH4)3[P(MoO4)4](s) + H2O(l) + NO3-(aq)
(Svehla,1996,p.220)
(NH4)3[P(MoO4)4](s) + NH4OH(aq) ? -precipitate is soluble
in 6N ammonium
Pyrophosphate: hydroxide
1. P2O74-(aq) + 4 AgNO3(aq) Ag4P2O7(s) + 4 NO3-(aq) -white precipitate
a. Ag4P2O7(s) + 4 HNO3(aq) H4P2O7(aq) + 4 AgNO3(aq) -precipitate is soluble
b. Ag4P2O7(s) + 8 NH4OH(aq) [Ag(NH3)2]4P2O7(aq) + 8 H2O(l) in 2N nitric acid and in
6N ammonium
 hydroxide
2. P2O74-(aq) + (NH4)2MoO4(aq) ? -yellow precipitate
Ppt + + NH4OH(aq) ? - precipitate is soluble
in 6N ammonium
hydroxide
(USPCI,2007)
Salicylate 1. C7H5O3-(aq) + FeCl3(aq) complex - violet coloration
2. C7H5O3-(aq) + HCl(aq) C7H5O3H -white crystalline
precipitate
(USPCI,2007)

Hyphosphite 1. 4 NaH2PO2(s) Na4P2O7( ) + PH3(g) + H2O(g) -evolution of
(Svehla,1996,p.224) phosphine gas

2. H2PO2-(aq) + 4 HgCl2(aq) + 2 H2O(l) 2 Hg2Cl2(s) + H3PO4(aq) -white precipitate

+ 3 HCl(aq) + Cl-(aq)

H2PO2-(aq) + 2 Hg2Cl2(s) + 2 H2O(l) 4 Hg(s) + H3PO4(aq) - white precipitate

-
+ 3 HCl(aq) + Cl (aq) becomes gray with an
(Svehla,1996,p.224) excess of
hypophosphite
3. 3 H2PO2 (aq) + 4 CuSO4(aq) + 6 H2O(l)
-
4 CuH(s) + - red precipitate
- (USPCI,2007)
3 H3PO4(aq) + H2SO4(aq) + 3 HSO4 (aq)
(Svehla,1996,p.224)
Benzoate 1. 3 C6H5COO-(aq) + 2 FeCl3(aq) + 3 H2O(l) -salmon-colored
(C6H5COO)3FeFe(OH)3(s) + 3 HCl (aq) + 3 Cl-(aq) precipitate
(Svehla,1996,p.242)
2. 2 C6H5COO-(aq) + H2SO4(aq) 2 C6H5COOH(s) + SO42-(aq) -white crystalline
(Svehla,1996,p.242) precipitate
C6H5COOH(s)+ ethyl ether -precipitate is readily
soluble in ethyl ether
(USPCI,2007)
Permanganate 1. MnO4-(aq) + H2O2(aq) + 3 H2SO4(aq) O2(g) + MnSO4 (aq) + -decolorization of
8 H2O(l) +2 SO42-(aq) permanganate
(Svehla,1996,p.228) solution with evolution
of oxygen gas
2. MnO4- (aq) + NaHSO3(aq) + H2SO4(aq) S(s) + MnSO3(aq) + - decolorization of
H2O(l) + Na+(aq) permanganate
(Svehla,1996,p.228) solution and
deposition of sulfur
C
2. MnO4- (aq) + H2C2O4(aq) + H2SO4(aq) 60
CO2(g) + -decolorization of
Mn2+(aq) + H2O(l) permanganate
(Svehla,1996,p.229) solution with
effervescence
(USPCI,2007)