Lab 14a: Separation and Analysis of Cations

Question: How can you identify the cations present in a mixture of solutions?

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the cations present in a mixture of solutions by the processes of separation and qualitative analysis.  Qualitative analysis is primarily used to identify substances present in a mixture by reacting the unknown with various reagents to obtain the chemical properties of the unknown.  It is necessary in this experiment to perform tests on specific ions and to separate the components  of the mixture.  Complete precipitation and separation must occur in order for the unknown cations to be identified accurately.