How will you distinguish between sodium chloride, potassium chloride and calcium chloride?

We can distinguish between the three salts [sodium chloride, potassium chloride and calcium chloride] with the help of flame test as described below:

Method

1. Thin platinum wire is thoroughly cleaned and then heated in a non-luminous flame of a burner.
2. When the wire imparts no colour it is dipped in conc. HCl and then into the substance to be identified.
3. The wire is then reintroduced into the non-luminous flame and the colour imparted is noted.

Observation

1. The golden yellow flame confirms the presence of sodium [Na¹⁺] ion.
2. Lilac colour of flame confirms the presence of Potassium [K¹⁺]
3. Brick red colour of flame, confirms the presence of Calcium [Ca²⁺] ion.