Why is dilute nitric acid used to acidify a solution before adding silver nitrate in a halide test, rather than dilute hydrochloric acid?

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Question

Why is dilute nitric acid used to acidify a solution before adding silver nitrate in a halide test, rather than dilute hydrochloric acid?

Accepted Answer

Hydrochloric acid would introduce chloride ions and cause a false positive — Using dilute hydrochloric acid would introduce chloride ions into the solution, which would react with silver nitrate to produce a white precipitate of silver chloride regardless of which halide was originally present. Dilute nitric acid acidifies without adding interfering ions.

Answer

Nitric acid makes the precipitate more visible

Answer

Hydrochloric acid would dissolve the silver halide precipitate

Answer

Hydrochloric acid would introduce chloride ions and cause a false positive

Answer

Nitric acid reacts with silver nitrate to dissolve impurities

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