,ARATION OF INORGANIC COMPOUNDS 65

pREp,..

l EXPERIMENT 7.1 I
To prepare a pure sample of' ferrous ammonium sulphate (Mohr's salt)
[FeS0 4 . (NH) 2 S0 4 . 6H 0J.
2

rffEORY
Mohr's salt is prepared by dissolving an equimolar mixture of hydrated ferrous su~ph~te and
roroonium sulphate in water containing a little of sulphuric acid, and then subJecting the
:esulting solution to crystallization when light green crystals of ferrous ammonium sulphate.
FeS0 4. (NH4\SO4.6H 2O separate out.
FeSO 4.7H2 O . + . . (NH4)2SO FeSO 4.(NH4)2SO 4.6H2O + H 2O
4
Ferrous sulphate Ammonium sulphate Mohr's salt
278 132 392 ·

REQUIREMENTS
Two beakers (250 ml), china-dish, funnel, funnel-stand, glass:.rod, wash-bottle, tripod stand
and wire-gauze.
Ferrous sulphate crystals, ammonium sulphate crystals, dilute sulphuric acid and ethyl
alcohol.

PROCEDURE
1. Take a 250 ml beaker and wash it with water. Transfer 7.0 g ferrous sulphate and
3.5 g ammonium sulphate crystals to it. Add about 2-3 ml of dilute sulphuric acid
to prevent the hydrolysis of ferrous sulphate.
2. In another beaker boil about 20 ml-of water for about 5 minutes to expel dissolved
air.
3. Add the boiling hot water to the contents in the first beaker in small instalments at
a time. Stir with a glass rod until the salts have completely dissolved.
4. Filter the solution to remove undissolved impurities and transfer the filtrate to a
china-dish. ' - -· - · ·- · ··· ·
5. Heat the solution in the china-dish for some time to concentrate it to the crystallisation
point.
6. Place the china-dish containing saturated solution over a beaker full of cold water.
On cooling crystals of Mohr's salt separate out.
7. Decant off the mother liquor quickly. Wash the crystals in the china-dish with a
small quantity of alcohol to remove any sulphuric acid sticking to the crystals.
8. Dry the crystals by placing them between filter paper pads.

OBSERVATIONS
Weight of cryst als obtained = ...... g
Expected yield = ······ g
Colour of the crystals - ..... .
Shape of the cryst als =
Note. The crystals of Mohr's salt are monoclinic in shape.
 IEXPERIMENT I 7.2
h alum (Fitkari). [K~O,rAl 2 (SO,J 8 .24_H2 OJ .
To prepare a pure sample of po t as

THEORY . . lar mixture of hydrated aluminium sulphate

Potash alum is prepared by dissolving an equimo t ntaining a little of sulphuric acid and
. 1h t . . . mount ofwa er co
and potassium sup a e 1n m1n1mu~ a ll" t· when octahedral crystals of potash
then subjecting the resulting solut10n to crysta isa rnn,
alum separate out. SO Al (SO ) 24H O
u SO + Al (SO) .18H O + 6H 2 0 4· 2 4 3· 2 .
.L-"2 4 2
4 3
. .
2
Potash alum
Potassium Alum1n1um
sulphate sulphate
174 666

REQUIREMENTS
Two beakers (250 ml), china-dish, funnel, f1;1nnel-stand, glass-rod, wash-bottle, tripod stand
and wire-gauze. . .
Potassium sulphate, aluminium sulphate and dil. sulphunc acid.

PROCEDURE
1. Take a 250 ml beaker. Wash it with water and then transfer 2.5 g potassium sulphate
crystals to it. Add about 20 ml of water. Stir to dissolve the crystals. Warm if required.
2. Take the other 250 ml beaker, wash it with water and tp.en transfer 10 g aluminium
sulphate crystals to it. Add about 20 ml of water a~d 1 ml of dilute ,sulpl),uric acid to
prevent hydrolysis of aluminium sulphate. Heat for about 5 minutes. If milkiness
still persists, filter the solution. ' · ·
3. Mix the two solutions in a china-dish and place the china-dish on a wire-gauze placed
over a burner. Stir the solution with a glass-rod. Co11,centrate tlie solution till crystal·
lisation point is reached. Place the dish over a beaker ·containing cold water.
4. Soon crystals of potash alum will separate out. Decant off the mother liquor and
wash the crystals with a small quantity of ice-cold water. , .
5. Dry the crystals by placing them between filter pap.s orb; spreading them over
porous plate.

OBSERVATIONS
Weight of crystals obtained
Expected yield = ······ g
Colour of the crystals - ······ g
Shape of the crystals -_
Note. The crystals of potash alum are octahedral ins~;~·.··