PRELIMARY TESTS

TEST OBSERVATION INFERENCE

1.Physical
Appearance
White NH4+,Pb2-,Al3+,Zn2+,
Ba2+, Ca2+,Sr2+,Mg2+
Blue Cu2+
Green Ni2+
Colour Brown Fe3+
Red Co2+
Light pink Mn2+
Smell Of NH3 NH4+
Odour Smell Of Vinegar CH3CHOO-
Smell Of Rotten Eggs S2-
2. Dry Heating Colourless gas evolved CO32-
Brown gas evolved Br-,NO3-
Violet gas evolved I-
Crackling Sound Pb(NO3)2,Ba(NO3)2
Cu2+
Brown residue

3.Flame Test Greenish blue Cu2+

Light green Ba2+
Brick red Ca2+
Crimson red Sr2+
 Salt Analysis

Cations

Group Group Reagent Radicals

Zero O.s. +NaOH+Heat NH4+
group
I Group O.S.+ HCl Pb2+
II Group O.S.+ HCl +H2S Cu2+
III O.S.+NH4Cl+NH4OH Al3+,Fe3+
Group
IV O.S.+NH4Cl+NH4OH+H2S Ni2+,Mn2+,Zn2+,Co2+
Group
V Group O.S.+NH4Cl+NH4OH+ Ba2+,Ca2+,Sr2+
(NH4)2CO3
VI O.S.+NH4Cl+NH4OH+NaH2PO4 Mg2+
Group

Anions

Group Group Reagent Radicals

I Group Salt+ Dil.H2SO4 CO32-,SO32-,S2-,NO
-
2

II Group Salt+ conc.H2SO4 Cl-,Br-,I-,CH3COO-

Add Cu piece and Heat NO3-

Add KMnO4 soln. C2O42-

 III O.S.+BaCl2 SO42-
Group
IV O.S.+conc.HNO3+Heat+(NH4)2MoO4 PO43-
Group

Tests For Anions (Acid Radicals)

(1) First Group

Test Observation Inference

Salt+dil.H2SO4 Colourless,Odourless gas with CO32-
Effervescense

Pass the Changes lime water CO32-

evolved gas Milky
Through lime
water
O.S.+MgSO4 White ppt CO32-

Test Observation Inference

Salt+dil.H2SO4 Colourless gas with rotten egg S2-
smell
O.S.(CH3COO)2Pb Black ppt S2-

O.S.+ sodium Purple colour S2-

nitroprusside

Test Observation Inference

Salt+dil.H2SO4 Brown gas NO2-
O.S.+dil. Brown colour NO2-
H2SO4+FeSO4
O.S.+ Starch Blue colour NO2-
iodide

Test Observation Inference

Salt+dil. H2SO4 Colourless gas with pungent SO32-
smell
O.S.+ Green colour SO32-
dil.H2SO4+K2Cr-
2O7
O.S.+ Pink Colour decolourised SO32-
dil.H2SO4KMnO4
 (2) Second Group

Test Observation Inference

Salt+ conc.H2SO4 Colourless gas with Cl-
pungent smell
O.S.+ AgNO3 White ppt
Cl-
White ppt+ excess of White ppt dissolves Cl-
NH4OH
Salt+K2Cr2O7+conc.H2SO4 Red gas pass in NaOH and Cl-
add
(CH3COO)2Pb gives yellow
ppt

Test Observation Inference

Brown gas with pungent smell
Salt+ conc.H2SO4 Br-
Pale yellow ppt
O.S.+ AgNO3 Br-

O.S. + CCl4 + Cl2 Orange layer Br-

water

Test Observation Inference

Violet gas
Salt+ conc.H2SO4 I-
yellow ppt
O.S.+ AgNO3 I-

O.S. + CCl4 + Cl2 pink layer I-

water
Test Observation Inference

Salt+ Brown gas with pungent smell NO3-

conc.H2SO4+ Cu
piece and heat
Brown ring
O.S.+ FeSo4+ NO3-
conc.H2SO4

O.S. + Diphenyl Dark blue colour NO3-

amine

Test Observation Inference

Salt+ Pink colour discharged C2O42-

conc.H2SO4+
KMnO4

O.S.+ CaCl2 White ppt C2O42-

Test Observation Inference

Salt+ conc.H2SO4 Smell of vinegar CH3COO-

Red colour
O.S.+ neu.FeCl3 CH3COO-

Red soln. + Brown ppt CH3COO-

excess water +
heat
(3) No Specific Group

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+ BaCl2 White ppt SO42-

Add HNO3 to Ppt does not dissolve SO42-

white ppt

O.S.+ white ppt SO42-

(CH3COO)2Pb

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+ yellow ppt PO43-

conc.HNO3+Ammonium
Molybdate and heat
Violet ppt
O.S.+Co(NO3)2 PO43-
Add CH3COOH to violet Violet ppt dissloves PO43-
ppt

Tests For Cations (Basic Radical)

(1) Zero Group

Test Observation Inference

O.S. + NaOH + White fumes with HCl NH4+

heat

O.S.+ Nessler’s Brown ppt NH4+

Reagent

(2) First Group

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+ dil. HCl white ppt Pb2+

Yellow ppt
O.S.+ K2CrO4 Pb2+
Pb2+
O.S. + KI Yellow ppt

(3) Second Group

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+ dil. HCl + H2S Black ppt Cu2+

O.S.+NH4OH(excess) Deep Blue Cu2+
Brown ppt
O.S.+ K4Fe(CN)6 Cu2+

(4) Third Group

Test Observation Inference

White gelatinous ppt
O.S.+ NH4Cl+ NH4OH Al3+
White ppt
O.S.+NaOH Al3+
Blue ppt
O.S.+NaOH+dil.HCl+Blue Al3+
litmus+NH4OH (lake
test)

Test Observation Inference

Brown ppt
O.S.+ NH4Cl+ Fe3+
NH4OH
Blood Red
O.S.+KCNS Fe3+
Dark Blue ppt
O.S.+ K4Fe(CN)6 Fe3+
(5) Fourth Group

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+ NH4Cl+ Black ppt Ni2+
NH4OH+H2S
Red rose
O.S.+DMG Ni2+
Light green ppt
O.S.+ NaOH Ni2+

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+ NH4Cl+ Black ppt Co2

NH4OH+H2S
Blue ppt
O.S.+NaOH Co2
Blue ethereal layer
O.S.+ Co2
NH4CNS+ether

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+ NH4Cl+ Buff ppt Mn2+

NH4OH+H2S
Buff ppt
O.S.+NaOH Mn2+
Brown ppt
O.S.+ K4Fe(CN)6 Mn2+

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+ NH4Cl+ Dirty white ppt Zn2+
NH4OH+H2S
White ppt
O.S.+NaOH Zn2+
Bluish white/yellowish white
O.S.+ K4Fe(CN)6 ppt Zn2+

(6) Fifth Group

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+NH4Cl+NH4OH+(NH4)2Co3 White ppt Ba2+,Sr2+,Ca2+

(White ppt dissolves in CH3-

COOH)
O.S.+K2CrO4 Flame test Yellow ppt/ light Ba2+/ Ba2+
green flame
O.S.+(NH4)2SO4 Flame test White ppt/crimson Sr2+/ Sr2+
red flame
O.S.+ (NH4)2C2O4 White ppt/Brick red Ca2+/ Ca2+
flame

(5) Sixth Group

Test Observation Inference

O.S.+ NH4Cl+ White ppt Mg2+
NH4OH+
Na2HPO4
White ppt
Mg2+
O.S.+(NH4)3PO4
White ppt
O.S.+ Mg2+
NaOH+Nessler’s
reagent