- #1
Zaros
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Homework Statement
You are given a white powder and it could be one of six substances: calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium chloride and sodium hydroxide. Determine the unknown sample.
Materials: White powder (5g)
Phenolphthalein
Silver nitrate solution
Acetic acid
The Attempt at a Solution
React with acetic acid if it is a carbonate it will bubble (CO2 formed)
React with the silver nitrate solution if it is sodium chloride it will form a cloudy white solution:
AgNO3 + NaCl → AgCl(s) + NaNo3
Now the phenolphthalein changes from colourless to pink when the pH goes above 8.2 so I assume there is some way to find out which one using basic acidic but this is where I start to have trouble as I am unsure what other experiments to do.
Thanks for the help