Identifying Unknown Ion in Solution
What ion does your unknown contain?
The unknown solution likely contains the sodium ion (Na+).
Analysis of Observations:
2. NH3 Test: Upon addition of 15 M NH3 to the unknown solution, there is no precipitate formed. This indicates the absence of carbonate (CO3^2-), phosphate (PO4^3-), or sulfide (S^2-) ions in the unknown solution, as they would have formed precipitates with ammonia.
3. Cl2 Test: The color of the mineral oil before and after the addition of Cl2 remains unchanged, suggesting no presence of halide ions (F-, Cl-, Br-, or I-) in the unknown solution. These ions would have reacted with Cl2 to produce distinct color changes.
Based on these observations, it can be concluded that the unknown solution does not contain chloride, bromide, iodide, carbonate, phosphate, sulfide, or any halide ions. Therefore, the most probable ion present in the unknown solution is the sodium ion (Na+). Sodium ion is common in known solutions and fits the test results of the unknown solution.