how would we use silver nitrate reagent to distinguish between tartaric acid and one of its salts?
To use silver nitrate reagent to distinguish between tartaric acid and one of its salts, you can follow these steps:
1. Prepare a solution of both tartaric acid and its salt by dissolving a small amount of each compound in separate test tubes with distilled water.
2. Add a few drops of silver nitrate reagent to each test tube. Silver nitrate reacts with tartaric acid and its salt differently, allowing you to distinguish between them.
3. Observe the reaction in each test tube carefully. If tartaric acid is present, a white precipitate of silver tartrate will form. This forms due to the reaction between silver nitrate and the tartaric acid functional groups. The reaction can be represented as:
Silver nitrate + Tartaric acid → Silver tartrate (white precipitate) + Nitric acid (dissolved)
4. If only the salt of tartaric acid is present, no precipitate will form in the test tube. Unlike tartaric acid, its salt does not react with silver nitrate because it lacks the functional groups responsible for the reaction.
By observing the formation (or absence) of a white precipitate, you can differentiate between tartaric acid and its salt using silver nitrate reagent.