Give chemical test to distinguish between oxygen and ammonia
Answers
Most gases are clear, colourless and odourless.
So it's not easy to distinguish between them with a simple chemical test.
Test for Hydrogen
Hydrogen is less dense than air and explosive when mixed with Oxygen.
A test-tube filled with hydrogen can be safely held up-turned since no Hydrogen can escape by sinking into denser air.
Light a splint and swiftly turn the test tube upwards a little towards the flame to allow the Hydrogen to mix with air.
The explosion should be detected as a squeaky pop.
Hydrogen + Oxygen --> Water Vapour
2H2(g) + O2(g) -->2H2O(g)
Test for Oxygen
Oxygen has a similar density to air, so needs to be contained in a "right-side up" container, preferably with a bung.
Oxygen supports burning but only 21% of dry air is Oxygen.
So, if we light a splint and shake out the flame so that the end is still glowing the only reason the flame does not reappear is that 79% of the air around it is not Oxygen.
Placing the glowing splint in pure Oxygen means that every gas molecule that collides with the glowing ember is Oxygen.
This increases the rate of reaction, providing enough heat to re-light the flame.
Test for Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide puts out fires. But so do most other gases.
So the test for Carbon Dioxide must be something that only Carbon Dioxide does.
Only Carbon Dioxide turns Lime-water milky white.
The white colour is a precipitate of Calcium Carbonate ( like chalk).
If enough Carbon Dioxide bubbles through the Lime-water the white precipitate re-dissolves.
But since no other gas causes a white precipitate, it's not necessary to re-dissolve it to prove the gas is Carbon Dioxide.
Ca(OH)2(aq) + CO2(g) --> CaCO3(s) + H2O(l)
Test for Ammonia
Ammonia is a very soluble, alkaline gas.
So we can test for Ammonia by putting damp red Litmus paper in the gas
The gas dissolves and the Litmus paper goes blue.
Test for Chlorine
Chlorine is a soluble, green gas that dissolves to form an acidic solution.
But it can look yellow in small amounts and it may be very difficult to see at all.
Holding damp blue Litmus paper in the gas should see the paper briefly turn red.
But dissolving Chlorine also forms bleaching compounds that then remove all the colour from the paper, leaving it white.
Additional Notes
Test Yourself
Videos
Tests for Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
YouTube Video
Test for Ammonia
Test for Chlorine
Teaching Order
This topic is taught in the following order:
1 - Flame tests
2 - Other Cation Tests
3 - Anion tests