Final answer:
Compound X likely forms a green precipitate due to being a transition metal salt with hydroxide ions. When reacting with aluminum and heat, the release of ammonia points towards an ammonium-containing compound, which is not listed among the options provided, suggesting a possible error in the question as none of the given choices would release ammonia. Thus, the green precipitate would most feasibly point to Iron(III) chloride if we dismiss the ammonia cue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns the identification of compound X that forms a green precipitate with sodium hydroxide and releases a gas that turns damp red litmus paper blue when mixed with aluminum powder and heated. To solve this, we need to analyze the reactions that could take place based on the given clues.
Firstly, a green precipitate with sodium hydroxide suggests that compound X is likely a transition metal. As we look at the options provided, compounds containing copper(II) and iron(III) are both transition metals capable of forming green precipitates with hydroxide ions.
When aluminum powder is added and the mixture is heated, the gas that turns red litmus paper blue indicates an alkaline gas. In this case, it's likely that ammonia (NH3) is the gas being released. This would occur if compound X contains an ammonium ion that would release NH3 upon reacting with the aluminum and heat.
Among the choices given, ammonium nitrate (A) would not form a green precipitate with sodium hydroxide, and neither would iron(II) nitrate (C). Copper(II) chloride (B) could potentially give a blue or green precipitate with sodium hydroxide, but adding aluminum and heating would not release ammonia. Therefore, compound X is likely Iron(III) chloride (D), which can form a green precipitate of iron(III) hydroxide and would release hydrogen gas when reacting with aluminum, but the question must have a typo since hydrogen does not turn red litmus paper blue.