BRAINCAKEWhy Nitric Acid is Added First
In the silver nitrate test, dilute nitric acid is added to the sample before the silver nitrate. It removes other anions that would also form precipitates with silver ions and give a false positive result.
Carbonate ions (CO32−) would form a pale precipitate of silver carbonate, which could be mistaken for a silver halide:
2Ag+(aq) + CO32−(aq) → Ag2CO3(s)
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More in Group 7
- Reaction with Water
- Reaction with Alkali
- Example Question - 1
- Example Question - 2
- Example Question - 3
- Silver Nitrate Test for Halide Ions
- Colours of Silver Halide Precipitates
- Distinguishing Silver Halides with Ammonia
All 20 lessons in Group 7 · All AQA AS-level Chemistry topics