VIVA QUESTIONS

1. What is qualitative analysis ?

Ans: The type of analysis that deals with the methods which are used to determine the
constituents of a compound.

2. What is a radical ?
Ans: A radical may be defined as an atom or group of atoms which carries charge and
behaves as a single unit in chemical reactions.

3. What are acidic and basic radicals ?

Ans. Radicals carrying positive charge are called basic radicals and those carrying negative
charge are called acidic radicals.

4. What type of bond is present in an inorganic salt ?

Ans. Electrovalent bond.

5. Why do inorganic salts ionise when dissolved in water ?

Ans. Due to the high dielectric constant of water, the force of attraction holding the two ions in a
salt decreases. Thus, the two ions separate. The ions are further stabilized by solvation.

6. Give examples of some coloured basic radicals.

Ans. Cu2+,Fe2+, Fe3+, Cr3+, Ni2+, Co2+ and Mn2+.

7. What is the colour of iron salts ?

Ans. Ferrous salts are usually light green while ferric salts are generally brown.

8. Name any iron salt which is light green

Ans. Ferrous sulphate.

9. What is the colour of nickel salts ?

Ans. Bluish green or green.

10. What is the colour of manganese salts ?

Ans. Light pink or flesh colour.

11. Name the basic radicals which are absent, if the given salt is white.
Ans. Cu2+,Fe2+, Fe3+, Cr3+, Ni2+, Co2+ and Mn2+.

12. Why a salt containing lead turn black in colour, when placed for a long time in labora-
tory?
Ans. Due to the formation of black lead sulphide by the action of H2S in atmosphere.

13. Name the salts which produce crackling sound when heated.
Ans. Lead nitrate, barium nitrate, potassium bromide, sodium chloride.

14. What is sublimation ?

Ans. It is the process by which a salt directly changes into gaseous phase without melting,
when heated. On cooling vapours condense back to the solid state.
15. Tell the importance of preliminary tests in qualitative analysis.
Ans. Sometimes, preliminary tests give authentic information about an ion in the salt. For
example, golden yellow colour in flame test shows the presence of sodium. In a charcoal
cavity test, brown residue shows the presence of cadmium in a salt and so on.

16. How is dry heating test performed and what information you get if the residue changes to
yellow when hot ?
Ans. In dry heating test, the salt is heated in a dry test tube. Yellow residue when hot shows
the presence of Zn2+ ion.

17. What is the expected observation when copper sulphate is heated in a dry test tube ?
Ans. A white residue is formed and water condenses on the colder walls of the test tube.

18. Name the radical which produces CO2 on heating.

Ans. Carbonate.

19. What is the colour of residue when zinc salt is heated ?

Ans. A residue yellow when hot and white when cold is formed.

20. What is the colour of residue when cadmium salt is heated ?

Ans. A residue brown when hot, brown when cold.

21. If the residue in dry heating test is white, name the radicals which are absent.
Ans. Cu2+, Mn2+,Co2+,Cr3+,Zn2+ and Pb2+ .

22. How is charcoal cavity test performed? Describe the chemistry for the formation of
incrustation as well as metallic bead.
Ans. The salt is mixed with the double the quantity of sodium carbonate and the mixture is
heated in the charcoal cavity in luminous flame(reducing flame).
Pb(NO3)2 + Na2CO3----→PbCO3+2NaNo3
PbCO3---→CO2 + PbO
Brown
(incrustation)
PbO + C----→ Pb + CO
(Bead)

23. Which flame is used in charcoal cavity test? How is it obtained?

Ans: A reducing flame is used in charcoal cavity test. It is obatained by closing the air holes
of the burner.

24. Why should we avoid excess of cobalt nitrate in cobalt nitrate test?
Ans: Excess of cobalt nitrate is avoided because it forms black cobalt oxide in the oxidizing
flame. This colour masks the masks the other colours which might be produced during the
test.

25. In the flame test, sodium imparts yellow colour to the flame while magnesium does not
impart any colour. Why?
Ans: In case of magnesium, when the excited electron jumps back to the ground state, the
frequency of radiation emitted does not fall in the visible region.
26. Write the chemistry of flame test.
Ans: In flame test, the valence electron of the atom gets excited and jumps to the higher
level. when the electron jumps back to the ground state, the radiation is emitted whose
frequency falls in the visible region.

27. What is the function of blue glass in flame test?

Ans: The blue glass can absorb a part or whole of the coloured light in certain cases.
Therefore, the flame appears to be of different colour when viewed through blue glass.This
helps in identification of some basic radicals.

28. Why do we use conc. HCl in preparing a paste of the salt for flame test?
Ans: In order to convert metal salts into metal chlorides which are more volatile tan other
salts.

29. Why can’t we use glass rod instead of platinum wire for performing flame test?
Ans: This is because glass contains sodium silicate which imparts its own golden yellow
colour to the flame.

30. Why is platinum metal preferred to other metals for flame test?
Ans: Because platinum does not react with acids and does not itself impart any
characteristic colour to the flame.

31. Why do barium salts not impart colour to the flame immediately?
Ans: Because barium chloride is less volatile, it imparts colour to the flame after some time.

32. Why should we avoid the use of platinum wire for testing lead salts?
Ans: Because lead combines with platinum and the wire gets corroded.

33. Why should only a particle or two of the given salt should be touched with the bead in
borax bead test?
Ans: If salt is used in excess an opaque bead is formed.

34. Why borax bead test is not applicable in case of white salts?
Ans: White salts do not form coloured meta-borates.

35. What is Nessler’s Reagent?

Ans: It is a solution of mercuric iodide in potassium iodide. Its formula is K2(Hgl4).

36. Name the acid radicals detected with dil.H2So.

Ans: co32-, S2-, SO32-, NO2- .

37. Why dil.H2So4 is preferred while testing acid radicals over dil. HCl?
Ans: When the salt is treated with HCl, during reaction HCl gas is also given out along
with the gas evolved by the salt. So the actual gas cannot be identified whereas wit H2SO4
no such problem arises.

38. Name the acid radicals detected by cone.H2SO4.

Ans: c1-, Br-, I, NO3-, CH3COO- .
 39. Name the radicals which are tested with the help of water extract.
Ans: NO3-, NO2- and CH3COO-.

40. Name the radicals which are confirmed with the help of sodiumcarbonate extract.
Ans: s2-, cl-, Br-, I-, PO43-, SO32-, SO42-.

41. How is sodium carbonate extract prepared?

Ans: The salt is mixed with double the amount od solid Na2CO3 and about 20 ml of
distilled water. It is then boiled till it is reduced to one-third, and then filtered. The filtrate is
sodium carbonate extract or (SE).

42. How is water extract?.

Ans: The given salt or mixture is shaken well with distilled water and the solution is filtered.
The filtrate is water extract or (W.E).

43. CO2 and SO2 both turn lime water milky. How will you distinguish between them?
Ans: By passing through acidified K2Cr2O7 solution SO2 turns K2Cr2O7 green while CO2 has
no effect.

44. CO2 and Br2 Both are brown in color. How will you distinguish between them?
Ans: By passing through FeSO4 solution. NO2 turns FeSO4 soln. black while Br2 has no
effect.

45. How will you test the presence of carbonate?

Ans: Treat a small quantity of the mixture with dil. H2SO4.CO2 gas is evolved. When the gas
is passed through lime water, it is turned milky.
Na2CO3+2HCl------------→2NaCl+H2O+CO2.

46. What is lime water?

Ans: A solution of Ca(OH)2 in water is called lime water.

47. What will happen if excess of CO2 is passed through lime water?
Ans: The white ppt. of CaCO3 changes into soluble calcium bicarbonate and the milkiness,
therefore, disappears.

CaCO3 + CO2+H2O-------------→Ca(HCO3)2.
48. How do you test for sulphide?
Ans: warm the salt with dil.H2SO4. H2S gas is evolved. It turns a paper dipped in lead acetate
black.
Na2S +2HCl-----→2NaCl+H2S
Pb(CH3COO)2 ----→PbS+2CH3COOH.

49. Is there any gas other than CO2 which turns lime water milky?
Ans: Yes, it is SO2 gas.
50. All nitrates on heating with conc. H2SO4 in presence of paper pallet evolve NO2 gas .
What is the function of paper pallet?
Ans: Paper pallet (carbon) reduces HNO3to NO2
KNO3+H2SO4----→KHSO4+HNO3
4HNO3+C--→ 2H2+4NO2+CO2
51. How will you test whether the given solution in a bottle is lime water?
Ans: Take 2ml of the solution in a test tube and blow into it by means of a glass tubing .
Milkiness indicates that the solution is lime water.

52. How is ring test performed for nitrates?

Ans: To the salt solution, freshly prepared ferrous sulpahte solution is added and them
sulphuric acid(conc.) is added along the walls of the tube. A dark brown ring is formed at
the junction of two solutions.
53. Why the hot reaction mixture in case of conc.H2SO4 test is not thrown into the sink?
Ans: In order to avoid spurting, due to which H2SO4 may fly and spoil clothes and may
result into serious injuries
54. What is tollen’s reagent?
Ans: Ammonical AgNO3 solution is called Tollen’s Reagent.

55. Give formula of Diphenylamine reagent.

Ans: (c6H5)2NH.

56. Why a dark brown ring is formed at the junction of two layers in ring test for nitrates?
Ans: H2SO4 being heavier forms the lower layer and reacts only with a small amount of
nitrate and FeSo4 at its surface, therefore, a brown ring appears only at the junction of the
two layers.

57. Why acetic acid is added before adding lead acetate solution?
Ans: In order to prevent the hydrolysis of lead acetate which would yield white precipitate of
lead hydroxide.

58. What is the formula f sodium nitroprusside?

Ans: Na2(Fe(CN)5 NO).

59. What is chromyl chloride test?

Ans: Heat a small amount of the mixture with conc.H2SO4 and solid K2Cr2o7 in dry test
tube. Deep brownish red vapours of chromyl chloride are formed. Pass these vapours in
water. A yellow sol. Of H2Cro4 is formed. Add to this solution NaOH,acetic acid and
lead acetate, a yellow ppt. confirms chloride in the mixture.

4Nacl+K2Cr2O7+3H2SO4--→2CrO2Cl2+K2SO4+2Na2SO4+3H2O
CrO2Cl2+2H2O---→H2CrO4+2HCl
H2CrO4+2NaOH---→Na2CrO4+2H2O
Na2CrO4+(CH3COO)2Pb----→PbCrO4+2CH3COONa.
60. What is the chemistry of carbon disulphide test for a bromide or iodide?
Ans: To a part of the soda extract add dil.HCl. Now to this add small amount of CS2 and
excess of chlorine water and shake the solution well. Chlorine displaces bromine or
iodine from the
bromide or iodide, which dissolves in carbon disulphide to produce orange or violet
colouration.

2KBr+Cl2---→2KCl+Br2
2KI+Cl2----→2KCl+I2