Separation and Identification of a Series of CationsAbstract:This lab utilized well plates and pipets to mix 10 different cations with 11 different anions some of which included phosphorous, sulfide, and ammonia anions. These were used to qualitatively analyze the reactions that took place and write out the equations for those reactions and the nitric acid tests that were performed. Introduction:The process of Identifying and separating cations is very important in the world ofscience. 1 Different means have been taken to identify these cations and separate them from the mixture. This is common in determination of inorganic chemicals such as in liquid wastes2. Some specific areas have used this to cure liquid wastes like in acid mine drainage like in a coal mine. Water pollution from these mines is very hazardous and the separation of these cations is necessary.3 Because of this, the cations are separated in many ways like by neutralization and precipitation of heavy metals. Also the detection can be used to prepare solutions. One of these solutions that can be prepared by this method is Nickel hexacyanoferrate4. In this lab many different reactions were qualitatively performed in order to identify chemical properties of the ions in each reaction. Then the goal was to develop a scheme for separating and identifying these determined ions5. Some of the following are example reactions of the ones that took place in the lab: Pb2+(aq) + 2Cl-(aq)  PbCl2(s) (Standard Test)Ag+ + CO32+:  Ag2O (Behavior in Carbonate Solution)Al + 3OH- Al(OH)3 (Ammonia test)These are just three of the 110 combinations that took place. Some of these were combinations that caused no reaction, but many precipitated. The properties of cations had to be determined by these different cation tests. There are Amphoteric where the reactions have both basic and acidic properties. There are tests that show behavior in ammonia in aqueous solutions. This behavior shows that it is a weak base. There are teststhat show the behavior with a sulfide ion. Many metals form precipitates with this ion. There are tests to show the behavior of carbonate and phosphate solutions. They both act as weak bases. The tests that include standard ion tests which were performed in a well 2plate. There were also ammonia tests. These should have been done with none of the other tests in the wells. Along with the ammonia tests NH4Cl was used in order to buffer the solution. There was sulfide tests performed which will be performed under a fume hood because of the smell. Because they have a wide range of Ksp values, metal ions separate by selective precipitation, thus by controlling the pH of a solution, different results were produced, as seen later in the report. There were acidic sulfide tests, which isdone in the fume hood also and in a clean well plate. Lastly there were confirmatory tests to show the ion precipitates and complex ions. Precipitates are solids formed from chemical reactions. A coordination complex is a cation that is surrounded by ligands, alsocalled anions. Also after each reaction has taken a place a nitric acid test will be performed by adding a few drops of HNO3. This is important when finding which unknown cations are in a solution. Materials and Methods:The full procedure is cited in the lab manual (5). For the mixtures, the results are recorded in the table as shown. 2 drops of each anion were put into one section of a well plate, and then 3 drops of each cation into the well plates with different anions. A complete list of reactions is shown in the tables 3-12. The qualitative analysis of the reactions is shown in table 1. For each of the reactions that a precipitate formed, a nitric acid test was also performed. Many of the steps in this lab were taken to prep for the next lab, which is testing for unknown cations. Confirmatory tests were then performed in this lab to show that an ion is present in a solution. A detailed list of confirmatory tests is shown in the lab manual (5). For this lab NH4OH was used rather than NH3. Pipets were used to stir the mixtures. The ammonia tests were performed first, then the well plate waswashed and cleaned, then the rest of the reactions were carried out. After all of the reactions were complete, the well plate was rinsed into a beaker once, which was put into a waste carboy, then the rest was rinsed down the sink because the waste was diluted enough. The Sulfide tests were performed after all of the tests were rinsed out and after they were performed, the waste was placed into its respective carboy, acid to acid carboy, basic tests to basic carboy waste. 3Results:A detailed list of each reaction is as shown for each cation with each anion that was used in this lab. Table 1 shows the qualitative analysis for each reaction that took place in the lab. Tables 2-11(6) show a detailed list of each reaction that took place in the well plates of this lab. The detailed reactions show the reactions, and then if there was a reaction present the reaction for the nitric acid tests. Also if there was excess of an anion, the tables show if the reactions would form any coordination complexes. The cations thatare used in this lab are Pb2+, Ba2+, Bi3+, Fe3+, Mn2+, Ag+, Cu2+,Ni2+, Zn2+, and Al3+. The anions used were 3 M HCl, 3 M H2SO4, 0.1 M Na3PO4, 0.1 M Na2CO3, 0.1 M K2CrO4, 3M Na OH, 19 M NaOH, 3 M NH4OH, 15 M NH4OH, OH-/H2S, and H+/H2S. The tables following show the results. Table 1: Cation Observations of reactions with Pb2+, Ba2+, Bi3+, Fe3+, Mn2+Pb2+Ba2+Bi3+Fe3+Mn2+3 M HCl White pptDNDWhite pptDNDNR Yellow no pptNR3M H2SO4White pptDNDWhite pptDDWhite ppt Slightly yellowNR0.1 M Na3PO4White pptDD White pptDDGaseousWhite ppt DDCloudy pptDDWhite pptDD0.1 M Na2CO3White pptDDWhite pptPDCloudy whiteDDOrange ppt Grey pptDD0.1 M K2CrO4Yellow pptDNDYellow pptDDyellow ppt, DNDDark yellow NR3 M NaOH White pptDDNR Cloudy pptDDRed pptDDBrown pptDND19 M NaOH Cloudy pptDDNR White pptDNDRed pptDNDBrown pptDND3 M NH4OH White pptDNDNR Cloudy pptDNDOrange pptVisible gasWhite pptBrown DD15 M NH4OH White pptDDCloudy sl’n White pptDDOrange filmGas formsBrown pptPDOH-/H2S Black pptDNDYellow pptDNDBlack pptDNDBlack pptGas, PDYellow pptDNDH+/H2S Black pptDNDNR Black pptDDClouds on topNR4Sl’n/Sol’n – SolutionPpt – This means a precipitate formed. Color is indicated.DD – After the HNO3 test, the precipitate did dissolveDND – After the HNO3 test, the precipitate did not dissolveNR –