Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Two compounds are fused with sodium, and the extract is tested. Compound X gives a Prussian blue colour. Nothing violet appears with sodium nitroprusside. After boiling with nitric acid, silver nitrate gives a yellow precipitate that does not dissolve in ammonia. Compound Y gives a blood red colour with iron(III) chloride, and no precipitate with silver nitrate after boiling with nitric acid. Which elements does each hold?
Carbon is shown by carbon dioxide turning lime water milky, and hydrogen by water turning white copper sulphate blue. Fusion with sodium turns N, S and the halogens into CN, S and X ions. Nitrogen: Prussian blue. Sulphur: black PbS or violet with nitroprusside. Nitrogen and sulphur together: blood red . Halogens: boil with nitric acid first, then silver nitrate. Phosphorus: a yellow colour with ammonium molybdate.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Compound X. Prussian blue shows nitrogen. No violet colour means no sulphur. A yellow precipitate, insoluble in ammonia, is silver iodide. So X holds nitrogen and iodine.
Compound Y. Blood red is the thiocyanate complex, so Y holds nitrogen and sulphur. No precipitate with silver nitrate means no halogen.
Answer: X has nitrogen and iodine. Y has nitrogen and sulphur, and no halogen.
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