You are provided with two reagent bottles marked A and B. One of which contains NH_4OH solution and the other contains NaOH solution. How will you identify them by a chemical test?
You are provided with two reagent bottles marked A and B. One of which contains NH_4OH solution and the other contains NaOH solution. How will you identify them by a chemical test?

Solution:

Calcium salts, such as calcium chloride, can be used to distinguish between reagent bottles A and B Ca(NO3)2.

On adding NaOH to Ca(NO3)2, a white precipitate Ca (OH) 2 is formed which is sparingly soluble in excess of NaOH.

Ca(NO3)+ 2NaOH → Ca(OH)+ 2NaNO3

In contrast, when NH_4OH is added to calcium salts, no precipitation of Ca(OH)_2 is observed, even when an excess of NH_4OH is added. This is because the concentration of OH^- ions formed by the ionization of NH_4OH is so low that it is unable to precipitate the calcium hydroxide.

Thus, the reagent bottle which gives white precipitate is NaOH and the other one should contain NH4OH.