Inorganic Salt Analysis

 Aim:
To Analysis the given salt systematically

 Preliminary/Physical Test:

S:No Experiment Observation Inference

1. Colour:  White Crystalline May be

The colour of the given Zn2+,Pb2+,Mg2+,Ca2+,Ba2+,
salt is noted Al3+and NH4+
 Blue May be Cu2+
2. Smell:
Take a pinch of salt  Pungent Smell May be NH4+
and rub between two  Vinegar smell May be CH3COO-
fingers with drop of No smell Absence of NH4+ and
water CH3COO-
3. Dry Heating Test: Coloured gas:
Take a pinch of salt in  Cracking Sound / A May be NO3-
a dry test tube and Reddish-Brown gas, turns
heat it ferrous sulphate solution
black
Colourless gas:
 Characteristic smell, White May be NH4+
fumes when a glass rod
dipped in conc.HCl is
brought near the mouth of
the test tube
 CO2 gas- turns lime water May be CO32-
Milky
 Pungent smell (HCl), white May be Cl-
Precipitate with AgNO3
Residue:
 Yellow when hot and White May be Zn2+
when cold
 White residue is obtained, May be Mg2+
Glows on heating
No characteristic Change Absence of NO3-,NH4+
CO32-,Zn2+ and Mg2+
4. Flame Test:  Apple – Green Presence of Ba2+
Take a pinch of salt in  Brick – Red Presence of Ca2+
a watch glass and add  Bluish – White Presence of Pb2+
1-2 drops of conc.HCl  Green – Flashes Presence of Zn2+
to make a paste  Crimson - Red Presence of Sr2+
No colour is observed Absence of Ba2+,
Ca2+,Pb2+,Sr2+ and Zn2+

1|MK Sir Notes

 5. Ash Test:
Take a pinch of the
salt in a watch glass  Blue ash Presence of Al3+
and add 1-2 drops of  Pink ash Presence of Mg2+
Conc.HNO3 and a few  Green ash Presence of Zn2+
drops of cobalt nitrate
solution. Soak a piece No colour ash Absence of Al3,Mg2+
of filter paper and and Zn2+
burn it.

 Anion Analysis/Acidic Radicals:

6. Dil.H2SO4 Test:  Colorless gas with Presence of CO32-

Take a pinch of salt in effervescence, which turns
a test tube and add lime water milky
dil.H2SO4 and gently
heat it No characteristic change Absence of CO32-
7. Conc.H2SO4 Test:  Brown gas with pieces of Presence of NO3-
Take a pinch of salt in copper turnings and the
a test tube and add solution turns blue in the
2ml of Con.H2SO4 and test tube
gently heat it  Colorless gas (HCl) with Presence of Cl-
pungent smell, white dense
fumes with NH4OH Solution
brought near the mouth of
the test tube
 Colorless gas (CO2) with
effervescence and turns Presence of C2O42-
lime water Milky
 Colourless gas with vinegar Presence of CH3COO-
smell
Absence of NO3-,Cl-
No characteristic change ,C2O42-and CH3COO-
8. KMnO4 Test:
Take a pinch of salt in  KMnO4 decolorized in cold Presence of Cl- and
a test tube and add condition C2O42-
dil.H2SO4. Boil and
slowly add KMnO4 No decolorized of KMnO4 Absence of Cl- and
solution C2O42-
Chemical Reactions: Conc.H2SO4
Test: NO3-:

2|MK Sir Notes

 Cl-:

C2O42-:

CH3COO-:

 Confirmatory Test for Acidic Radicals:

 Preparation of the solution for the test:

Water extract/Aqueous solution:
Mix the given salt with distilled water in a test tube.
Sodium carbonate extract (for insoluble salts):
Take a small amount of salt in a boiling tube and add twice the amount of Na2CO3
followed by 10-15ml of distilled water. Boil the contents well, cool and filter.
1. Confirmatory test for Nitrate:
1. Brown ring test:
To a part of aqueous
solution is taken in a test
tube and add freshly A brown ring is formed at
NO3- is Confirmed
prepared FeSO4 solution the junction of two liquids
then few drops of conc.
H2SO4 solution slowly on
the sides of the test tube
Chemical Reactions:
1. Brown ring test:

3|MK Sir Notes

2. Confirmatory test for Sulphate:
1. Barium Chloride test:
To a part of aqueous White Precipitate is
solution is taken in a test formed, which is insoluble SO42- is Confirmed
tube and add barium in dil.HCl
chloride solution few drops
2. Lead Acetate test:
To a Part of aqueous White precipitate is
solution is taken in a test formed, which is soluble in SO42- is Confirmed
tube and add lead acetate excess of hot ammonium
solution few drops acetate solution
Chemical Reactions:
1. Barium Chloride test: 2. Lead Acetate test:

3. Confirmatory test for Chloride:

1. Silver Nitrate test
(Tollens' reagent):
To a part of aqueous White Precipitate is
solution add dil.HNO3 formed, which is soluble in Cl- is Confirmed
solution few drops. Boil NH4OH solution
and cool it, then add silver
nitrate solution
2. Manganese dioxide test:
Heat a pinch of salt with
small quantity of Greenish yellow gas Cl- is Confirmed
MnO2 with conc.H2SO4
3. Chromyl Chloride test:
Heat a pinch of salt with Red vapours are obtained
K2Cr2O7 crystals and conc.
H2SO4.
Pass the vapours through The solution turns yellow
the test tube which Cl- is Confirmed
contains NaOH solution.
To this yellow solution, Yellow precipitate is
add dil. CH3COOH and lead formed, Soluble in NaOH
acetate solution
Chemical Reactions:
1. Silver Nitrate test:

2. Manganese dioxide test:

4|MK Sir Notes

 3. Chromyl Chloride test:

4. Confirmatory test for Carbonate:

1. Magnesium Sulphate test:
To a part of aqueous
White precipitate
solution add Magnesium CO32-is Confirmed
sulphate solution
2. Barium chloride test:
To a part of aqueous White precipitate soluble
CO32-is Confirmed
solution add Barium in Con.HCl
chloride solution
Chemical Reactions:
1. Magnesium Sulphate test:

2. Barium chloride test:

5. Confirmatory Test for Phosphate:

1. Ammonium Molybdate
test:
To a part of aqueous
solution add conc. HNO3 Yellow precipitate/ Colour PO43-is Confirmed
and boil. Then add excess
of Ammonium Molybdate
solution and heat
Chemical Reactions:
1. Ammonium Molybdate test:

6. Confirmatory test for Oxalate:

1. Calcium Chloride Test:
To a part of aqueous
solution add dil. Acetic White precipitate C2O4-2 is confirmed
acid and boil off CO2. Then
add of CaCl2 solution
Chemical Reactions:

5|MK Sir Notes

 1. Calcium Chloride test:

7. Confirmatory test for Acetate:

1. Ester test:
Heat a pinch of the salt in
a dry test tube with Fruity smell CH3COO- is Confirmed
conc.H2SO4 and ethyl
alcohol.
2. Ferric Chloride test:
To a part of aqueous
Deep red colouration
solution in a test tube and
produced
add neutral FeCl3 solution.
Filter and divide the CH3COO- is Confirmed
solution in two parts:
(i) Tot 1st part add dil.HCl Red colouration disappears
(ii) To 2nd part add H2O Reddish brown precipitate
and boil
Chemical Reactions:
1. Ester test:

2. Ferric Chloride test:

 Cation Analysis/Basic Radicals:

 Preparation of Original Solution:
Take a small quantity of a given salt in a test tube. Add distilled water and shake
it. The clear solution thus obtained is labelled as Original Solution.

Group Separation
Zeroth Group - Confirmatory test for Ammonium:
1. NaOH Test:
Take a pinch of salt in a
Ammonia gas is evolved NH4+ is confirmed
test tube and add NaOH
and heat the contents
2. Nessler’s reagent Test:
To the above test
Ammonium gas is collected Brown solution or NH4+ is confirmed
in another test tube and Precipitate is obtained
add Nessler’s reagent
Chemical Reactions:

6|MK Sir Notes

 1. NaOH Test:

2. Nessler’s reagent Test:

Group I-VI
1. Group I
To the original solution White Precipitate Presence of Group I
add dil.HCl (Pb2+)
2. Group II
To the above solution add
Yellow Ammonium Black Precipitate Presence of Group II
Sulphide solution / H2S is (Cu2+ and Pb2+)
passed
3. Group III
To the above solution add Gelatinous
con.HNO3 and boiled. Then White Precipitate Presence of Group III
add NH4Cl solid with (Al3+)
excess of NH4OH solution
4. Group IV
To the above solution add
NH4Cl and NH4OH Dull Presence of Group IV
solutions. Then Yellow White Precipitate (Zn2+)
Ammonium Sulphide
solution/ H2S is passed
5. Group V
To the above solution add Presence of Group V
NH4Cl and NH4OH White Precipitate (Ba2+, Sr2+ and Ca2+)
solutions. Then add
(NH4)2CO3 Solution
6. Group VI No Precipitate in above Presence of Group VI
- groups (Mg2+)
 Confirmatory test for Cations/Basic Radical
Group I - Confirmatory test for Lead:
1. Potassium iodide test:
To the original solution Yellow Precipitate Pb2+ is Confirmed
add KI solution

2. Potassium chromate test:

To the original solution
add K2CrO4 solution Yellow Precipitate Pb2+ is Confirmed

Chemical Reactions:

7|MK Sir Notes

 1. KI test: 2. K2CrO4 test:

Group II - Confirmatory test for Copper:

1. Potassium Ferrocyanide
test:
To the original solution
Brown Precipitate Cu2+ is Confirmed
add dil.CH3COOH and
Potassium Ferrocyanide
solution
Chemical Reactions:
1. Potassium Ferrocyanide test:

Group III - Confirmatory test for Aluminium:

1. NaOH test: White gelatinous
To the original solution Precipitate, soluble in
add NaOH solution After excess NaOH solution Al3+ is Confirmed
clear solution add solid The white gelatinous
NH4Cl and heat Precipitate reappears
2. Lake test:
To the original solution Blue Precipitate,
add blue litmus solution floating in a colourless Al3+ is Confirmed
and NH4OH solution solution
Chemical Reactions:
1. NaOH Test:

2. Lake Test:

Group IV - Confirmatory test for Zinc:

1. Potassium Ferrocyanide
test:
To the original solution Bluish-white Precipitate Zn2+ is Confirmed
add Potassium
Ferrocyanide solution
2. NaOH test:
To the original solution add White Precipitate, soluble
NaOH solution. in excess Zn2+ is Confirmed
NaOH solution

Chemical Reactions:

8|MK Sir Notes

 2. Potassium Ferrocyanide test:

3. NaOH Test:

Group V - Confirmatory test for Barium and Calcium:

1. Potassium Chromate test:
To the original solution Yellow Precipitate Ba2+ is Confirmed
add K2CrO4 solution

2. Ammonium Oxalate test:

To the original solution add
Ammonium Oxalate and White Precipitate Ca2+ is Confirmed
NH4OH solution
Chemical Reactions:
1. Potassium Chromate test:

2. Ammonium Oxalate test:

Group VI - Confirmatory test for Magnesium:

1. Ammonium/ Disodium
Hydrogen Phosphate test:
To the original solution
White Precipitate Mg2+ is Confirmed
add some solid NH4Cl then
add NH4OH excess. Finally
add (NH4)3HPO4 solution
2. Magneson Reagent Test:
To the original solution
Blue Precipitate /colour Mg2+ is Confirmed
add dil.HCl and Magneson
reagent
Chemical Reactions:
1. Ammonium/Disodium Hydrogen Phosphate test:

Result:
Acid Radical is ___________ Base Radical is ___________
The Given Unknown Salt is ______________

9|MK Sir Notes