Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: KraigH on December 01, 2005, 11:16:19 AM
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I am looking for the solution that will detect the presence of salt water. I have seen a dropper of soluition placed on a surface exposed to salt water and it turned red/pink when sodium chloride was present.
I initially thought the solution was Silver Nitrate but this creates a white precipitate when introducted to Chloride.
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A rhodium salt would do that as rhodium chloride is an intensely red color. (Which is how rhodium got its name). However, at about $3,000 per OUNCE of Rhodium, it would be a needlessly expensive test when something as simply as a silver nitrate solution would be just as effective.
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any idea what the solution was that I saw used?
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It could very well have been an aqueous solution of a rhodium salt. Something like rhodium nitrate or whatnot.