SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
Types of Chemical Change
By: Alan Su
SCH3U
Teacher: Ms. Otterman
Date: November 4th, 2025
Lab Partners: Mason Zmudcynzski, Logan Ziebarth, Tyssen Peak, Mueez Awan
Alan Su 1
SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
Introduction
Halides are compounds formed when halogens combine with metals or hydrogen, producing a
negatively charge halide ion. Halogens are group 17 of the periodic table and show clear trends
in their chemical behavior as you move down this group. Halogens reactivity decreases because
larger atoms hold their outer electrons less tightly, making them less effective oxidizing agents.
In halide displacement reactions, a more reactive halogen will displace a less reactive halide ion
from the solution. Changes in colour, solubility, and precipitate formation allows us to compare
the reactivity and properties of different halides.
Halides compounds are chemical bonds which contain a halogen. In this lab, we will be
understanding and identifying the different halides, their properties, how their reaction in the lab
relates towards their location on the periodic table, and historical uses of these halides. The lab
will experiment with the halides: chloride, bromide, and iodide. These reagents will be tested
with elements such as silver nitrate and potassium permanganate to identify distinct physical
characteristics of the halide. These results will then be used to identify the physical
characteristics of an unknown halide that contains either chloride, bromide or iodide.
This this lab, student will have to build an understanding of halide compounds and their different
properties and how those properties relate to the halogen’s placement on the periodic table. This
lab will specifically focus on the 3 halogens chloride, bromide, and iodide. Students will test the
reaction of these halides with elements such as hydrogen peroxide, silver nitrate, and diluted
sulfuric acid. After experimenting with these elements, students will be tasked with determining
an unknown halide using their information from the previous experiments.
Purpose
The purpose of this lab is to differentiate which halogens are present within a given halide. The
lab will focus on understanding the properties of different halides. Focusing on specifically on
the halides: sodium chloride, sodium bromide and potassium iodide with silver nitrate. In the lab,
students will attempt to cultivate an understanding of how distinct halides can be identified using
various methods.
Alan Su 2
SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
Materials
- 3x test tubes
- 3x Pipets
- 1x Test tube rack
- 5x Pairs of safety goggles
- Silver nitrate
- Aqueous ammonia
- Sodium thiosulfate
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Distilled water
- Potassium permanganate
- Sodium bromide
- Diluted sulfuric acid
- Sodium chloride
- Potassium iodide
- Unknown halide solution.
CAUTIONS: Silver nitrate and potassium permanganate may stain the skin.
Aqueous ammonia has a powerful odour and is corrosives. Safety
goggles are required for this lab
Methods
A data chart to record the test was made in advance for this lab.
Part 1:
1. After obtaining 3 clean test tubes, 3 drops are silver nitrate were placed into each test
tube.
2. 10 drops of sodium chloride where place in the first test tube. 10 drops of sodium
bromide were then placed into the second test tube. 10 drops of potassium bromide were
placed in the third test tube.
3. The tube was gently swirled, and the physical characteristics of the 3 test tubes were
recorded.
4. The physical characteristics of Aqueous Ammonia were recorded. 10 drops of Aqueous
Ammonia were then placed into each of the test tubes.
5. The tube was gently swirled, and the physical characteristics of the reaction that
happened within the test tubes are recorded.
6. The physical properties for sodium thiosulfate are recorded and 10 drops are then placed
into each test tube.
7. The test tubes were then swirled, and the physical properties and changes were recorded.
Alan Su 3
SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
Part 2:
8. The test tubes are rinsed and cleaned.
9. The physical attributes of dilute sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide are recorded.
10. 5 drops of the diluted sulfuric acid and 10 drops of hydrogen peroxide are placed into
each test tube.
11. 10 drops of sodium chloride where place in the first test tube. 10 drops of sodium
bromide were then placed into the second test tube. 10 drops of potassium bromide were
placed in the third test tube.
12. The test tubes were swirled, and all physical attributes of each test tube were recorded.
Part 3:
13. The physical properties of diluted sulfuric acid and potassium permanganate were
recorded.
14. 5 drops of diluted sulfuric acid were placed into the test tube and 10 drops of potassium
permanganate were placed in the test tube.
15. 10 drops of sodium chloride where place in the first test tube. 10 drops of sodium
bromide were then placed into the second test tube. 10 drops of potassium bromide were
placed in the third test tube.
16. The test tubes were swirled, and all physical attributes of each test tube were recorded.
17. An unknown substance was given, and students were tasked with identifying if the
unknown substance contained iodide, chloride, or bromide.
18. After careful consideration, the mixture of diluted sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide
was chosen, and a mixture of diluted sulfuric acid and potassium permanganate was
chosen.
Observation/Results
Independent variable: The independent variables of this lab were the different reagents and
substances used within this lab because they are fixed.
Dependent variable: The dependent variable in this lab is the chemical reaction that occurs
within the lab.
Control Variable: The control variable was the amount liquid added to each test tube. Although
measurements are given within this experiment. There are potential inaccuracies that may
occur. However, the due to the small volume of this lab the control variable played a very small
influence on the potential outcomes of the lab.
Alan Su 4
SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
Reagent Observation Chloride Bromide Iodide Unknown
Initial Transparent Transparent Transparent Yellowish
Colour of Orange
Reagent translucent
fluid
Part 1:
AgNO3 Transparent The The The
substance substance substance
became a became a became
foggy white murky white foggy which
with residue with green almost
forming and yellow resembled
throughout chalk-like opal
the substance pieces at the
bottom
AgNO3 + NH3 Transparent The The The liquid
substance substance became
became a became foggy which
foggy white translucent almost
with residue with green resembled
forming and yellow opal but had
throughout chalk-like a milkier
the substance pieces at the colour.
bottom
AgNO3 + NH3 Transparent The liquid A clear The liquid
+Na2S2O3 became liquid with became
transparent green residue foggy which
again with at the very almost
most of the bottom resembled
residue opal but had
dissolving. a milkier
colour.
Part 2:
H2SO4+ H2O2 Transparent Transparent Transparent Clear light Light yellow
brown liquid liquid with
with black black
substance at powder
the bottom floating on
the top.
Part 3:
KMnO4 + H2O2 Black The Translucent Translucent A murky
Powder and substance is dark brown dark brown brown liquid
transparent a opaque colour with colour with
liquid dark purple black black
powder at powder at
the bottom the bottom
Alan Su 5
SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
Discussion
1.
a) What are the chemical names of the halide compounds that are formed as a product
in each test tube in step #2
In step 2 of the lab, the instructions were to get 3 separate test tubes and to put 3 drops of silver
nitrate into each test tube. After this the lab instructed the participants to put 10 drops of sodium
chloride in the first test tube, 10 drops of sodium bromide into the second test tube, and 10 drops
of potassium iodide into the third test tube. The products of the first test tube were silver chloride
and sodium nitrate. The products of the second test tube were silver bromide and sodium nitrate.
The products for the third test tube were silver iodide and potassium nitrate.
- Sodium chloride: silver nitrate + sodium chloride = silver chloride + sodium nitrate
- Sodium bromide: silver nitrate + sodium bromdie = silver bromide + sodium nitrate
- Potassium Iodide: silver nitrate + potassium iodide = silver iodide + potassium nitrate
1.
b) How does the ease with which these compounds, dissolve in steps 3 and 4 relate to
the position of the halogen on the periodic table
The ease with which the compound silver nitrate dissolves with chloride, bromide, and iodide is
relative to the location of the substance in the periodic table. Moving down the group 17
halogens, the solubility of halogens generally decreases. This is identifiable within the lab since
chloride was the most soluble among the three, with iodide being the least soluble towards the
mixture of silver nitrate. In this experiment, chloride produced a transparent liquid, whilst iodide
produced an opaque colour. Through these results, we can identify that as you move down the
periodic table, the solubility of halogens decreases.
Alan Su 6
SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
2. How does the ease of oxidation (reaction with hydrogen peroxide or potassium
permanganate) relate to the position of the halogen on the periodic table.
As you move down the periodic table, the oxidation of the halide compounds increases. (with
hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate) According to an experiment conducted by
Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, potassium iodide and hydrogen peroxide, when mixed,
would create a mixture that rapidly oxidizes. The study also identified that the mixture of
hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen bromide would result in a substance that required much harsher
conditions to generate oxidation. (Porcja) In conclusion, as you go down the periodic table, the
halides’ ease to oxidize (when reacted with hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate)
would generally increase.
3.
a) Briefly describe your method for identifying the unknown halide.
Our method for identifying the unknown halide in the lab is by using the chemical mixture of
diluted sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide to identify if the halide contains iodide. If the
reaction with the unknown halide produced a dark liquid, we could identify that the substance
contained iodide. To identify if the substance contained chloride, we used the chemical mixture
of potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide. If the chemical reaction of the unknown
halide and the previously mentioned mixture produced a dark purple colour, this would confirm
our suspicion that the unknown halide was chloride. If neither substance showed, we could
identify our unknown halide as bromide.
b) Why did you choose this method?
We chose this method of to identify the chemical because both chemical mixtures from part 2
and part 3 created distinct characteristics for one of the three reagents. When potassium iodide
reacted with diluted sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, it generated a distinct brown colour
compared to the other two reagents which stayed clear and transparent in colour. When sodium
chloride reacted with potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide, it produced a distinct
purple colour. In contrast, the other two reagents within this reaction generated a brown colour.
These two characteristics made it very easy to identify the reactions of both chloride and iodide,
given our unknown element had multiple discolorations which could make other methods of
identification result in different chemical reactions. In the case neither of the desired reactions
happened, we could use logical deduction to identify that our unknown was bromide. In
conclusion, we chose this method of identifying the unknown halide because of the distinct
physical properties the chemical reactions produced.
4. Which halide ion was present in the unknown that you tested?
The teacher gave us “Unknown A” as our unknown halide. Unknown A was a translucent
brownish-orange color. After testing our hypothesis, we concluded that our unknown halide was
bromide because it did not show either of the desired physical properties of the chloride and
iodide. When Unknown A reacted with the mixture of diluted sulfuric acid and hydrogen
peroxide, it produced a light orange color. Since the reaction of chloride and bromide with this
Alan Su 7
SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
mixture resulted in a clear transparent color, we concluded that Unknown A was either chloride
or bromide because the brownish-orange color of Unknown A must have tarnished the
transparent color of diluted sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Then, we tested a chemical
mixture of potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide. The chemical reaction generated a
murky brown liquid, indicating that it was either bromide or iodide. Our group had already
identified that it could not be iodide in the previous chemical reaction, and the most recent
reaction identified that the substance could not be chloride. Through logical reasoning we
identified that the halogen within Unknown A is bromide.
5. Sodium thiosulfate has a crucial role in the development of film. Explain how it is used,
referring to compounds that also contain sliver.
Sodium thiosulfate had multiple purposes and played a crucial role in the development of early
films. According to Britannica, photographic film paper contains silver halide (mainly silver
bromide) crystals that are light sensitive and can react towards light exposure, which embeds a
print of the light in the film. When exposed, this triggers a reaction that reduces the silver halide
to metallic silver. However, the unexposed silver halides that remain can darken the image,
which will ruin it. To counteract this, sodium thiosulfate is used to react with the unexposed
silver halides. (Robert 2019) This chemical reaction creates silver thiosulfate, which is soluble.
The film is then washed, removing all the undesired imperfections, resulting in only the exposed
silver halides remaining.
6. Reactivity with nonmetals is supposed to decrease down a group. Explain your results
from question 2
Reactivity with nonmetals is supposed to decrease down groups. According to Jim Clark, a
professor at Truro School in Truro, England, the reactivity of halogens decreases down the
group. This is because large atoms attract electrons less strongly, so their oxidizing power will
weaken. The reverse will also be true for their halide ions. Chloride will be very hard to oxidize,
whilst going down the periodic table will increase the halides' ease to oxidize. (Clark 2013) In
conclusion, although nonmetals will decrease in reactivity as you go down the groups, the
inverse happens for oxidation, resulting in the ease of oxidation of halogens increasing as you go
down the periodic table.
Alan Su 8
SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
Work Cited
Clark, Jim. “Halogens as Oxidizing Agents.” Chemistry LibreTexts, 3 Oct. 2013,
[Link]/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_and_Websites_(I
norganic_Chemistry)/Descriptive_Chemistry/Elements_Organized_by_Block/2_p-
Block_Elements/Group_17%3A_The_Halogens/1Group_17%3A_General_Reactions/
Halogens_as_Oxidizing_Agents.
Porcja, Bob, and Z Bassam. “Oxidation of Potassium Iodide by Hydrogen
Peroxide.” [Link], [Link]/cldf-demos/1021-cldf-demo-oxidationn-
potassium. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Robert, Erich, and Andy Grundberg. “History of Photography .” Encyclopædia Britannica, 25
Jan. 2019, [Link]/technology/photography.
Alan Su 9
SCH3U Comparison of the Behaviour of Halides UNIT 5
Appendix
Alan Su 10