Tests of Ammonia

Tests of Ammonia

The presence of ammonia in any sample may be confirmed by following tests:

• Ammonia has a characteristic pungent smell, (called ammoniacal smell).
• Ammonia turns most red litmus blue and moist turmeric paper brown.
• Ammonia, when added to a solution of copper sulphate, turns the solution deep
• When a glass rod dipped in canc. HCI is brought closer to ammonia dense white fumes are observed.

NH₃ + HCl → NH₄Cl (white fumes)

• Ammonia, when added to Nessler’s reagent (alkaline solution of K[HgI3]), gives the brown precipitate.