- Testing for common gases
An animation showing how to test for hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, ammonia and chlorine. YouTube
- Flame tests for some Group 1 metals
Flame tests for lithium, sodium and potassium compounds. YouTube
- Flame test for calcium
Flame test for calcium compounds. YouTube
- Flame test for copper
Typical flame colour for a copper compound. Ignore the orange colour at the end. YouTube
- Testing for copper(II) ions
The video shows testing for copper(II) ions in solution using sodium hydroxide solution and also ammonia solution. At GCSE level, you probably won't need the reaction with ammonia solution. YouTube
- Testing for iron(II) ions
The video shows testing for iron(II) ions in solution using sodium hydroxide solution and also ammonia solution. Again, at GCSE level, you probably won't need the reaction with ammonia solution. YouTube
- Testing for iron(III) ions
The video shows testing for iron(III) ions in solution using sodium hydroxide solution and also ammonia solution. Again, at GCSE level, you probably won't need the reaction with ammonia solution. YouTube
- Testing for ammonium ions
The video shows testing for ammonium ions in solution using sodium hydroxide solution. If you had a solid and added sodium hydroxide solution to it, you probably wouldn't need to heat it to detect the ammonia. YouTube
- Testing for carbonate ions
Quick demonstration of adding dilute hydrochloric acid to a carbonate and testing the gas with lime water (calcium hydroxide solution). YouTube
- Testing for sulfate ions
Testing by adding dilute nitric acid followed by barium nitrate solution to a solution of the sulfate. You could equally well use dilute hydrochloric acid followed by barium chloride solution. In each case, the acid is there to react with other ions (like carbonate ions) which might also give a white precipitate. You have to do that! Just adding the barium nitrate or chloride solution isn't enough to be sure that you have a sulfate present. YouTube
- Testing for chloride ions
Testing by adding dilute nitric acid followed by silver nitrate solution to a solution of the chloride. The acid is there to react with other ions (like carbonate ions) which might also give a white precipitate. YouTube
- Testing for chloride, bromide and iodide ions
An extension of the practical in the previous video. In practice, it is quite difficult to distinguish between the colours of the silver bromide and iodide precipitates. YouTube
- Animation of simple analysis
Flash animation (sorry if you can't access it!) of testing for lithium, sodium or potassium, chlorides, bromides or iodides. Use the dropper to add silver nitrate solution to the solution in the tube, and then move the solid sample to the flame. It is quite hard to distinguish bromide and chloride (look very closely at the colour of the precipitate).
- Testing for the presence of water
Animation showing the use of anhydrous copper(II) sulfate and anhydrous cobalt(II) chloride to test for the presence (although not the purity) of water. YouTube