Cambridge O Level Chemistry · Syllabus 5070 · Experimental Techniques and Chemical Analysis
Aqueous Cation Test
What is Aqueous Cation Test?
A test that identifies a positively charged ion in solution using aqueous sodium hydroxide and aqueous ammonia. The reagent is added a few drops at a time and the first observation recorded, then added until it is in excess and the second observation recorded. Most cations give a coloured or white precipitate; some of those precipitates dissolve when the reagent is in excess. The two-stage result, not the first precipitate alone, is what identifies the ion.
This definition is part of the Experimental Techniques and Chemical Analysis chapter in Cambridge O Level Chemistry.
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