This memory aid covers Memory Aid within Tests for Ions for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Tests for Ions in Chemical Analysis for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 14 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 10 of 15 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.
Topic position
Section 10 of 15
Practice
20 questions
Recall
14 flashcards
🧠 Memory Aid
"NaOH for METALS, BaCl₂ for SULFATES, AgNO₃ for HALIDES"
Precipitate colours with NaOH: "Cu = Blue, Fe2 = Green, Fe3 = Brown, Al/Ca = White"
Silver halide colours: "White, Cream, Yellow — going down the halogen group"
- Cl⁻ = White
- Br⁻ = Cream
- I⁻ = Yellow
- Remember: "Why (Y) does Cream come between?" — White, Cream, Yellow
Quick Check: A solution gives a brown precipitate when sodium hydroxide is added. What metal ion is present?
Iron III ion (Fe³⁺). It forms brown/orange Fe(OH)₃ precipitate with sodium hydroxide.
Keep building this topic
Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Tests for Ions. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.
Practice Questions for Tests for Ions
Which reagents are used to test for carbonate ions in a solution?
Describe how sodium hydroxide solution can be used to distinguish between iron(II) ions and iron(III) ions in solution, including the expected observations.
Quick Recall Flashcards
20 questions on Tests for Ions — practise free
Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 14 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.
Try PrepWise Free