Chemistry

Give a chemical test to distinguish

(a) Ammonium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide.

(b) Zinc chloride and calcium chloride.

Practical Chemistry

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Answer

(a) Add copper sulphate solution (CuSO4) to both the solutions. With sodium hydroxide, a pale blue precipitate is formed which is insoluble in excess of sodium hydroxide. With ammonium hydroxide it forms a pale blue precipitate which dissolves in excess of ammonium hydroxide and forms a deep/inky blue solution.

(b) When ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) is added dropwise to Zinc chloride (ZnCl2), white gelatinous precipitate of zinc hydroxide forms initially. On adding excess NH4OH, the precipitate dissolves, forming a clear solution.

With calcium chloride, no precipitate forms with NH4OH because calcium hydroxide is not precipitated by ammonium hydroxide in cold solution.

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