How would you confirm the presence of the sulfite ion in aqueous solution? - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question (h) - 2017
Question (h)
How would you confirm the presence of the sulfite ion in aqueous solution?
Worked Solution & Example Answer:How would you confirm the presence of the sulfite ion in aqueous solution? - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question (h) - 2017
Step 1
Add Barium Chloride (Barium Nitrate) solution
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Answer
To confirm the presence of sulfite ions ext{(SO}_3^{2-} ext{)}, first add a solution of barium chloride or barium nitrate to the aqueous solution suspected to contain sulfite ions. The barium ions ( ext{Ba}^{2+}) will react with the sulfite ions to form barium sulfite, which is insoluble.
Step 2
Observation of Precipitate
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A white precipitate of barium sulfite ( ext{BaSO}_3) will be observed. This indicates the presence of sulfite ions in the solution.
Step 3
Addition of Dilute Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
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Next, add dilute hydrochloric acid ( ext{HCl}) to the solution. The white precipitate will dissolve, indicating that barium sulfite is soluble in acid, confirming the presence of sulfite ions.
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