Colors in Selected Metal Compounds

a

a

a

a

a

a

a

a

a

White

a

a

a

a

Cobalt

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Iron

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Sodium

Y

Copper

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Nickel

Y

Y

Manganese

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Tin

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Chromium

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Silver

Y

Y

Y

Y

Cobalt red: CoCl2 Cobalt green: Solution formed when CoCl2 is reacted with large amounts of HCl Cobalt blue: Just that! Cobalt brown: CoO Cobalt black: Co3O4 Cobalt indigo: CoCO3 Cobalt tan: Co3(BO3)2

Iron red: Fe2O3 Iron orange: Fe2O3 Iron yellow: FeCl3 Iron green: FeSO4 Iron blue: Prussian blue Iron purple: Ferrates Iron brown: Fe2O3 Iron dark green: Fe(OH)2 Iron black: FeO

Forget about sodium, an alkali metal that packs nothing interesting in its compounds.

Copper red: Cu2O Copper orange: Cu2O Copper yellow: CuCl4(2-) ion Copper green: CuCl2 Copper blue: CuSO4 Copper purple: Cu(NH3)4(2+) Copper black: CuO Copper white: CuCl

Nickel green: NiCl2 Nickel gray: Ni2O3

Manganese orange: MnO oxidation products Manganese blue: Hypomanganates Manganese green: Manganates Manganese brown: MnO oxidation products Manganese black: MnO2 Manganese tan: Mn(OH)2 Manganese pink: MnCl2 Manganese magenta: Permanganates

Tin red: SnI4 Tin orange: SnI4 Tin black: SnO Tin white: SnO2 Tin tan: Sn(OH)2

Chromium red: CrO3 Chromium orange: K2Cr2O7 Chromium yellow: K2CrO4 Chromium green: CrCl3 Chromium blue: CrCl2 solution Chromium violet: Chrome alum Chromium dark green: Cr2O3 Chromium black: CrO2 Chromium white: CrCl2

Silver yellow: AgI Silver brown: Ag2O Silver white: AgNO3 Silver black: AgCl exposed to light

As you can see, the transition metals form the most colorful compounds.

The colored a's represent their color. For example, a red a represents a red color.