Chemical Tests for Phosphate

Phosphates are inorganic salts containing phosphate ion. The It contains a central phosphorous atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement. The most well known compound containing phosphate ion is phosphoric acid. Phosphate ions react with ammonium molybdate to produce a characteristic yellow precipitate, ammonium phosphomolybdate.

This video explains how to test the presence of phosphate ion in a given salt.