CHEMISTRY PRACTICAL PROCEDURE

SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF SALT

STD: XI & XII
AIM: To analyse the given salt systematically for its cation and anion.
S.
EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE
NO.
1 COLOUR AND
APPEARANCE
a) Colour of the salt i) Blue or Bluish green May be presence of copper
was observed. ion.

ii) Green May be presence of Nickel or

Ferrous ions.

May be presence of Ferric

iii) Dark Brown
ion.

May be presence of
iv) Light pink, flesh Manganese ion.
colour

May be presence of Cobalt

v) Pink ion.

Absence of Cu2+, Ni2+, Fe2+,

vi) Colourless Fe3+, Mn2+, Co2+ ions.

May be presence of chloride,

b) Appearance of the i) Crystalline sulphate or nitrate ion.
salt was observed.

May be presence of
ii) Amorphous carbonate or Sulphide ion
(except Ammonium
carbonate).
2 SOLUBILITY
A little amount of the i) Soluble May be nitrate, sulphate,
salt was taken in a chloride or acetate ions.
test tube and shaken
well with water. May be carbonate (or)
ii) Insoluble
sulphide ions (except
ammonium carbonate)
3 ACTION OF HEAT
A pinch of the salt was i) Colourless, Odourless May be presence of
taken in a dry test gas which turned lime carbonate ion.
tube and heated water milky.
gently.
ii) a) Reddish brown gas a) May be presence of nitrate
evolved. ion.
 b) Reddish brown gas b) May be presence of Lead
evolved with nitrate.
decripitation.

iii) Salt sublimed. white May be presence of

sublimate formed on ammonium ion.
the inner sides of the
test tube. Colourless,
pungent smelling gas
giving dense white
fumes with glass rod
dipped in
concentrated
hydrochloric acid
evolved

iv) The salt turned May be presence of Zinc ion.

yellow when hot and
white when cold.

v) a) Acetic acid
May be presence of acetate
vapours having
ion.
characteristic vinegar
like smell evolved.

b) White salt became

black on heating.

vi) Brown when hot May be presence of Lead ion.

yellow when cold. (Pb2+).

vii) The salt swells up May be presence of

into voluminous phosphate ion.
mass.

viii) Coloured salt turns May be presence of copper

brown or black. ion.

ix) White Residue. May be presence of Barium

ion.
4 FLAME TEST
A pinch of the salt is i) Apple green coloured May be presence of Barium
taken in a watch flame ion.
glass, a drop of
concentrated ii) Brick red coloured May be presence of Calcium
hydrochloric acid was flame ion.
added and made into
a paste. The paste was iii) Bluish green May be presence of Copper
introduced into the coloured flame ion.
flame. May be presence of
Strontium ion.
iv) Crimson red coloured
flame
 Absence of Copper, Barium,
Calcium and Strontium.
v) No characteristic
coloured flame

5 ASH TEST
To a little of the salt i) Green coloured ash. May be presence of Zn 2+ ion.
taken in a watch glass
concentrated nitric ii) Blue coloured ash. May be presence of Aℓ3+ ion.
acid and cobalt nitrate
solution was added. A iii) White or pink May be presence of Mg 2+ ion.
filter paper was coloured ash.
soaked in the solution
and ignited. iv) No characteristic Absence of Zn 2+, Aℓ3+ and
coloured ash. Mg2+ ions.
6 ACTION OF DILUTE
SULPHURIC ACID
a) To a little of the salt i) Brisk effervescence May be presence of
in a test tube dilute due to the evolution of carbonate ion.
sulphuric acid was carbon dioxide gas
added. which turned lime
water milky.
ii) Evolution of a May be presence of Sulphide
colourless gas with a ion.
rotten egg smell
turning lead acetate
paper black was
observed.
iii) Reddish brown May be presence of Nitrite
vapour evolved which ion.
turned ferrous
sulphate paper black.
iv) Colourless vapours May be presence of acetate
with smell of vinegar ion.
which turned blue
litmus red.
v) No characteristic Absence of carbonate,
change. Sulphide, Nitrite and Acetate
ions.
i) Pink colour fades May be presence of Oxalate
b) Boil the above away.
solution and add ion.
KMnO4 in drops. ii) Pink colour persists. Absence of Oxalate ion.
7 ACTION OF
CONCENTRATED
SULPHURIC ACID
a) To a little of the salt Colourless gas May be presence of chloride
taken in a test tube (hydrogen chloride) with ion.
concentrated pungent smell, which
sulphuric acid was gave dense white fumes
added. when a glass rod dipped
in ammonium
hydroxide, was brought
 near the mouth of the
test tube.

b) To a little of the salt i) Reddish brown May be presence of Bromide

taken in a test tube vapours (bromine ion.
concentrated vapours) with pungent
sulphuric acid and a smell evolved.
pinch of manganese
dioxide was added and ii) Violet vapours (Iodine May be presence of Iodide
heated. vapours) which turned ion.
starch paper blue.

iii) Greenish yellow gas May be presence of Chloride

evolved. ion.

iv) No characteristic May be absence of Br-, Cℓ-

coloured vapours. and I- ions.

c) To a little of the salt Reddish brown vapours

taken in a test tube evolved. May be presence of Nitrate
concentrated ion.
sulphuric acid and a
few pieces of copper
turnings was added
and heated.

PREPARATION OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OR WATER EXTRACT: (FOR SOLUBLE

SALTS)

Little of the salt was taken in a test tube, water is added and shaken well. This
solution is called aqueous extract or water extract.

1 TEST FOR PHOSPHATE:

AMMONIUM MOLYBDATE
TEST
To a few drops of the A Canary yellow Presence of phosphate.
aqueous extract added precipitate is obtained
concentrated nitric acid and
ammonium molybdate
solution and heated to
boiling.

2 PO43− + 3( NH 4 )2 MoO4 → 2( NH 4 )3 PO4 + 3MoO42−

MoO42− + 2 HNO3 → H 2 MoO4 + 2 NO3−
H 2 MoO4 → MoO3 + H 2O
( NH 4 )3 PO4 + 12MoO3 + 6 H 2O → ( NH 4 )3 PO4 .12MoO3 + 6 H 2O

2 TEST FOR SULPHATE

BARIUM CHLORIDE TEST
To a few drops of the A White precipitate is Presence of Sulphate.
extract, dilute hydrochloric formed which is
acid was added until the insoluble in
 effervescence ceased and concentrated
barium chloride solution hydrochloric acid
was added.
SO42− + BaC 2 → BaSO4  +2C −

CONFIRMATORY TEST FOR ACID RADICALS

3 ACTION OF DILUTE Brisk effervescence Presence of carbonate ion
SULPHURIC ACID with evolution of is confirmed.
To a little of the salt dilute carbon dioxide which
sulphuric acid was added. turned lime water
milky.
CO32− + H 2 SO4 → SO42− + CO2  + H 2O
CO2 + Ca(OH )2 → CaCO3 + H 2O
4 SILVER NITRATE TEST
To a few drops of the i) A curdy white Presence of chloride ion is
extract, silver nitrate precipitate completely confirmed.
solution was added. soluble in excess of
ammonium hydroxide
is obtained.
C − + AgNO3 → AgC  + NO3−
AgC + 2 NH 4OH → [ Ag ( NH 3 )2 ]C + 2 H 2O
soluble complex
ii) A pale yellow Presence of bromide ion is
precipitate is confirmed.
obtained which is
partially soluble in
ammonium
hydroxide.
Br − + AgNO3 → AgBr  + NO3−
iii) A yellow Presence of Iodide ion is
precipitate is formed confirmed.
which is insoluble in
ammonium hydroxide
I− + AgNO3 → AgI  + NO3−
iv) A black precipitate Presence of sulphide ion is
is obtained. confirmed.
2−
S + 2 AgNO3 → Ag 2 S  +2 NO3−
5 CHROMYL CHLORIDE
TEST
a) A pinch of the salt is a) Red orange
heated with potassium vapours evolved.
dichromate crystals and
concentrated sulphuric
acid.
−
4C + K 2Cr2O7 + 6H 2 SO4 → 4HSO4− + 2KHSO4 + 2CrO2C 2 + 3H 2O
b) Pass the vapours through b) A yellow solution is
water. obtained.
CrO2C 2 + 2H 2O → H 2CrO4 + 2HC
c) Lead acetate solution is c) A yellow precipitate Presence of chloride is
added to the yellow is obtained. confirmed.
solution.
 H 2CrO4 + (CH 3COO)2 Pb → PbCrO4  +2CH 3COOH
6 LEAD ACETATE TEST a) A white precipitate Presence of sulphate ion is
To a few drops of the soluble in hot confirmed.
extract, dilute acetic acid ammonium acetate is
was added until the obtained.
effervescence ceased and
lead acetate was added.
SO42− + (CH 3COO) 2 Pb → PbSO4  +2CH 3COO −
b) A black precipitate Presence of sulphide ion is
soluble in hot dilute confirmed.
nitric acid is
obtained.
2−
S + (CH 3COO) 2 Pb → PbS  +2CH 3COO −
c) No characteristic Absence of sulphide and
precipitate is sulphate ions.
obtained.
7 BROWN RING TEST
To a few drops of the A brown ring is Presence of nitrate ion is
extract, freshly prepared formed at the confirmed.
ferrous sulphate solution junction of two layers.
was added and then
concentrated sulphuric acid
was added in drops along
the inner sides of the test
tube.
NO3− + H 2 SO4 → HSO4− + HNO3
6 FeSO4 + 3H 2 SO4 + 2 HNO3 → 3Fe2 ( SO4 )3 + 4 H 2O + 2 NO
FeSO4 + NO + 5H 2O → [ Fe( NO)( H 2O)5 ]SO4
Brown Ring
8 ESTER TEST
To a little of the salt added Pleasant fruity smell. Presence of acetate ion is
concentrated sulphuric acid confirmed.
and heated. Then add ethyl
alcohol, shake and pour the
contents of the test tube in
a beaker full of water and
stir.
2CH 3COO− + H 2 SO4 → SO42− + 2CH 3COOH
CH 3COOH + C2 H 5OH → CH 3COOC2 H 5 + H 2O

GROUP SEPARATION:
1 To the given salt add Dense white fumes Presence of Ammonium
sodium hydroxide and with concentrated ion. (Group Zero)
heated. hydrochloric acid.

PREPARATION OF ORIGINAL SALT SOLUTION

To a little of the salt added water/dilute hydrochloric acid / dilute nitric acid and
dissolved.
2 To a little of original salt White precipitate is Presence of Lead ion.
solution dilute hydrochloric obtained. (Group I)
acid was added.
3 To the above solution yellow Black precipitate is Presence of copper ion.
ammonium sulphide was obtained. (Group II)
added.
4 Boil the above solution to i) Gelatinous white Presence of Aluminium
expel H2S gas and precipitate is ion (Group III).
ammonium chloride and obtained.
ammonium hydroxide
solution was added. ii) Grassy green Presence of Ferrous ion.
precipitate is (Group III)
obtained.

iii) Reddish brown Presence of Ferric ion.

precipitate is (Group III)
obtained.

iv) No characteristic Absence of Aℓ3+, Fe2+,

precipitate. Fe3+ ions.
5 To the above solution added White precipitate is Presence of Zinc ion.
yellow ammonium sulphide obtained. (Group IV)
solution.
6 To the original salt solution White precipitate is Presence of Barium and
ammonium chloride, obtained. Calcium ions. (Group V)
ammonium hydroxide and
ammonium carbonate
solution was added.
7 To a little of the original salt White precipitate is Presence of Magnesium
solution added ammonium obtained. ion. (Group VI)
chloride, ammonium
hydroxide and disodium
hydrogen phosphate
solution.

CONFIRMATORY TEST FOR BASIC RADICALS

1 CONFIRMATORY TEST
FOR Pb 2+
i) To a little of the original Yellow precipitate is Presence of Pb2+ ion is
salt solution potassium obtained. confirmed.
 chromate solution was
added.
Pb2+ + K2CrO4 → PbCrO4  +2K +
ii) To a little of the original Yellow precipitate is Presence of Pb2+ion is
salt solution potassium obtained. confirmed.
iodide solution was added.
Pb2+ + 2KI → PbI 2  +2K +
2 CONFIRMATORY TEST Blue precipitate Presence of Cu2+ ion is
FOR Cu 2+ obtained which confirmed.
i) To a little of the original dissolved on addition
salt solution ammonium of excess of
hydroxide solution was ammonium hydroxide
added. and only blue
coloration is seen.
Cu 2+ + 4 NH 4OH → [Cu ( NH 3 )4 ](OH )2 + 2OH − + 4H +
ii) To a little of the original Chocolate brown Presence of Cu2+ ion is
salt solution potassium precipitate is confirmed.
ferrocyanide was added. obtained.
2+
2Cu + K 4 [ Fe(CN )6 ] → Cu2 [ Fe(CN )6 ] + 4 K +
3 CONFIRMATORY TEST
FOR Aℓ3+
i) To a little of the original White precipitate is Presence of Aℓ3+ ion is
salt solution sodium obtained which confirmed.
hydroxide solution was dissolved in excess of
added. sodium hydroxide.
3+
A + 3NaOH → A (OH )3 + 3Na +
A (OH )3 + NaOH → NaA O2 + 2H 2O
ii) To a little of the original Bright red lake is Presence of Aℓ3+ ion is
salt solution aluminon observed confirmed.
reagent and sodium
hydroxide was added.
4 CONFIRMATORY TEST
FOR Zn2+
To a little of the original salt White precipitate Presence of Zn 2+ ion is
solution sodium hydroxide soluble in excess of confirmed.
was added. sodium hydroxide.
Zn 2+ + 2 NaOH → Zn(OH ) 2 + 2 Na +
Zn(OH ) 2 + 2 NaOH → Na2 ZnO2 + 2 H 2O
5 CONFIRMATORY TEST
FOR Ba2+
To a little of the original salt Yellow precipitate is Presence of Ba2+ ion is
solution potassium obtained. confirmed.
chromate solution was
added.
Ba 2+ + K 2CrO4 → BaCrO4 + 2 K +
 6 CONFIRMATORY TEST
FOR Ca2+ A white precipitate is Presence of Ca2+ ion is
To a little of the original salt obtained. confirmed.
solution (NH4)2C2O4
solution was added.
Ca 2+ + ( NH 4 ) 2 C2O4 → [COO]2 Ca + 2 NH 4+
7 CONFIRMATORY TEST
FOR Mg2+
To a little of the original salt Blue green precipitate Presence of Mg 2+ ion is
solution sodium hydroxide is obtained. confirmed.
was added and a few drops
of magneson reagent was
also added.
8 CONFIRMATORY TEST
FOR NH4+
To a little of the original salt Reddish brown Presence of NH 4+ ion is
solution sodium hydroxide precipitate is confirmed.
and Nessler’s reagent was obtained.
added.
2K2[HgI4 ] + NH3 + 3NaOH → H2 N.HgO.HgI  +4KI + 2H2O + 3NaI

RESULT

Thus, the given salt contains

Acid Radical _____________________

Basic Radical _____________________

Therefore the given salt is _____________________

***