Question

Identify some other substances (besides KCl) that might give a positive test for chloride upon addition of AgNO3. Based on the reactant used in your experiment, do you think it is reasonable to exclude these types of substances as contaminants that would give a false positive when you tested your reaction residue to verify that it is KCl?

Answer 1

Answer:

Other substances that give a positive test with AgNO3 are other chlorides present, iodides and bromide. However iodides and bromides have different colours hence they will not give a false positive test for KCl. Other chlorides present may lead to a false positive test for KCl.

Explanation:

In the qualitative determination of halogen ions, silver nitrate solution is used. Various halide ions give various colours of precipitate with silver nitrate. Chlorides yield a white precipitate, bromides yield a cream precipitate while iodides yield a yellow precipitate. All these ions or some of them may be present in the system.

However, if other chlorides are present, they will also yield a white precipitate just as KCl leading to a false positive test for KCl. Since other halogen ions yield precipitates of different colours, they don't lead to a false test for KCl. We can exclude other halides from the tendency to lead us to a false positive test for KCl but not other chlorides.