[Chlorine_Sodite]

I'm self-teaching myself basic chemistry and am have trouble with these kinds of problems in the exam past papers. I want to know if there's some kind of core methodology I should know that would help me. How do/did you guys remember what are the important white precipitates, the black precipitates, the browns, the pungent smells, ect?


For example, one question states:

Substance "A" is...
-Very soluble in water
-Gives no precipitate with NaOH(aq)
-Gives pungent gas (B) with HCl(aq)
-Gives white precipitate (C) with BaCl₂

Substance "C" dissolves in dilute acid.
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Now, from what I know I can assume that "A" is some kind of sulfate/sulfide or nitrate. All are very soluble in water. Na₂SO₄ reacts with HCl to produce SO₂ gas which is pungent, does not produce a white precipitate with NaOH and Produces white precipitate BaSO₄ with BaCl₂. I'm just poking in the dark here. And even if I figure this out there hundreds of similar questions like this.

[Arkcon]

Well, for learning basic chemistry, we start with the solubility tables: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solubility_chart

Gah.  That Wikipedia table is just awful.  However, the solubility rules are useful for new students: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solubility_rules

You have good instincts so far.  Just keep working with the monster list you have.  You'll discover patters, and you'll solve the last ones faster than you solve the first ones.  Build your own table from what you solve. 

There's no important single white precipitate or pungent smell.  You coalesce this trivia into the rules of solubility and the typical reactions as a learning trick.