Summary

In this experiment, the cations of Group III, Fe 3+, Al3+, Co2+, Ni 2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Cr3+, are
treated individually with limited NH3 , excess NH3, limited NaOH, excess NaOH, and
excess NaOH plus H2O2 and their respective reactions will be observed. Additionally,
the result of the presence of the acetic/ acetate ion buffer on the chromate
dichromate equilibrium and the precipitate reaction of Cr 2O72- by the presence of
Ba2+ cation will be analyzed as well.
All Group III cations will form precipitates with the addition of limited OH - and NH3.
However, only specific ions will precipitate with excess OH - and NH3. The Le
Chantliers Principle, which describes that the equilibrium of a system will be
pushed to a certain direction to counteract the effect of any change induced, will be
applied to explain how some of the precipitates produced become complex ions.
In part A, upon adding limited NH3 to each cation, the following precipitates were
formed : Fe(OH)3, dark orange ppt; Al(OH)3, white ppt; Co(OH)2, blue-green; Ni(OH)2 ,
clear blue ppt; Mn(OH)2, soft brown ppt; Zn(OH)2, white ppt; Cr(OH)3, dark green
ppt. Then, the addition of excess NH 3 shifted the equilibrium according to Le
Chantliers principle and the complex ions Co(NH 3)62+, Ni(NH3)62+ and Zn(NH3)42+
were produced.
Upon adding limited OH- to each cation, the following precipitates were formed:
Fe(OH)3 as a dark orange ppt, Al(OH)3 as a white ppt, Co(OH)2 as a light blue ppt,
Ni(OH)2, as a light green ppt, Mn(OH)2 as a soft brown ppt ,Zn(OH)2, as a white ppt
and Cr(OH)3 a green ppt. Then, the addition of excess OH - shifted the equilibrium
according to Le Chantliers principle and the complex ions Al(OH) 4-, Zn(OH)42- and
Cr(OH)4- were produced.
Next, upon adding H2O2 as an oxidizing agent to the previous solution with excess
OH-, the ion CrO42- and the following precipitates were formed: Co(OH) 3 as a black
ppt and MnO2 as a dark brown ppt.
In part B, upon adding HNO3 to a solution with K2CrO4, the equilibrium was shifted
according to the Le Chantliers principle to produce Cr 2O72-, which made the light
yellow solution turned light orange. Then, upon adding NH 3 to the mixture, the
equilibrium was shifted according to Le Chantliers principle to produce CrO 42-, which
made the light orange solution turned light yellow. Next, upon adding NaC 2H3O2 and
HC2H3O2 to the solution, the equilibrium was shifted according to Le Chantliers
principle and the solution became just acidic, which made the light yellow solution
turned light orange. Upon adding BaCl 2 to the solution, BaCrO4 as a white
precipitate was formed.
Finally, because of the Le Chantliers principle, it was observed that the reactions of
Group III cations can present different results depending on the amount of reagent
used and a buffer can shifted an equilibrium system.