SALT ANALYSIS

SCHEME OF ANALYSIS
EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS :
1) Noted the colour Colourless Absence of
Cu2+,Fe2+,Fe3+,Mn2+,Co2+,Ni2+
Blue Presence of Cu2+
Brown Presence of Fe3+
Green Presence of Ni2+
Pale pink Presence of Mn2+
Pink Presence of Co2+
2) Noted the solubility a) Soluble and
a) Presence of NH4+
no precipitate
a) In water
with Na2CO3
b) In dil. HCl b) Insoluble b) Presence of Pb2+

3) Flame Test : a) Blue a) Presence of Cu2+

A little of the salt is made into surrounded by
paste with conc. HCl. A glass green b) Presence of Ca2+
rod is dipped in it and b) Brick red c) Presence of Sr2+
introduced into the flame. c) Crimson red d) Presence of Pb2+
d) Bluish white e) Presence of Ba2+
e) Grassy green
on prolonged
heating
4) Ash Test : a) Green ash a) Presence of Zn2+
A little of the salt is heated b) Blue tinted ash b) Presence of Al3+
with con.HNO3 and cobalt c) Pale pink ash c) Presence of Mg2+
nitrate solution. A filter
paper is dipped in it and
burnt.

SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF ANIONS :

1) Dil. HCl test : a) Evolution of a) Presence of carbonate
To the salt add dil. HCl. Colourless, ion is identified
2) Dil. H2SO4 test : odourless gas
To the salt dil. H2SO4 is added. with brisk
effervescence
, turns
 limewater
milky.
b) Smell of vinegar b) Presence of acetate ion
is identified
 3) Conc.H2SO4 test : a) Colourless gas a) Presence of Cl-1 is
Treat a small quantity of the with pungent identified
salt with Conc.H2SO4, warm if smell, give
necessary. dense white
fumes when a
glass rod
dipped in
NH4OH is
b) Presence of Br-1 is
shown.
identified
b) Brown gas
with pungent
c) Presence of I-1 is
smell
identified
c) Violet
vapours
with
pungent
smell

4) Paper ball test : Brown fumes

Presence of NO3-1 is identified
Heat a little of the salt
with Conc.H2SO4 and
introduce a paper ball to
it.
5) Test for sulphates : White precipitate Presence of sulphate ion is
Heat a little of the salt solution insoluble in Conc.
identified
HCl
with dil. HCl and add BaCl2
solution.
6) Test for phosphates : Yellow precipitate Presence of phosphate ion is
Add Conc.HNO3 to the salt identified
solution and boil. Add excess
of ammonium molybdate
solution and boil again.

CONFIRMATORY TEST FOR ANIONS :

1) Carbonates : White precipitate Presence of carbonate ion is
Magnesium sulphate test : confirmed
To the salt solution add MgSO4
solution.
2) Chlorides :
a) MnO2 test : a) Greenish yellow Presence of chloride ion is
Heat a small quantity of gas with confirmed
salt with Conc.H2SO4 and pungent smell
 MnO2

b) Silver nitrate test : b) White curdy

Acidify the salt solution precipitate Presence of chloride ion is
with dil. nitric acid and soluble in confirmed
add silver nitrate solution. excess of
NH4OH
3) Acetates :
a) Ester test :
a) Pleasant Presence of acetate ion is
To the salt add conc.H2SO4 fruity smell confirmed
and heat. Add alcohol.
Shake. Pour the
contents into a beaker
containing water.
b) Reddish
b) Ferric chloride test : coloured
To the salt solution add precipitate
neutral ferric chloride Presence of acetate ion is
solution. Filter. Divide confirmed
the filtrate into two
I. Reddish
portions :
colour
I. To one add dil.HCl.
disappears
II. To the second, II. Reddish
add water and precipitate
boil
4) Sulphate :
a) To the salt solution add White precipitate Presence of sulphate ion is
dil.HCl and barium insoluble in HCl confirmed
chloride solution.
White precipitate Presence of sulphate ion is
b) To the salt solution add
soluble in hot confirmed
acetic acid and lead acetate ammonium acetate
solution.
5) Phosphate :
a) Ammonium molybdate a) Yellow precipitate Presence of phosphate ion is
test : To salt solution add confirmed
conc. HNO3 and boil. Add
ammonium molybdate and
heat again.
b) Magnesia mixture test :
To the salt solution add b) White precipitate Presence of phosphate ion is
magnesia mixture and confirmed
allow to stand.
6) Bromide :
a) To salt add conc.H2SO4 a) Dense Presence of bromide ion is
and MnO2 brown confirmed
b) To salt add dil.HCl and AgCl fumes Presence of bromide ion is
b) Pale yellow confirmed
precipitate
partially
 soluble
inNH4OH
7) Nitrate :
a) To a little salt add a) Brown Presence of nitrate ion is
conc.H2SO4 and add vapours and confirmed
cu turnings and green
heat. solution
b) To salt solution add fresh b) Brown ring at the Presence of nitrate ion is
FeSO4 and cool. junction confirmed
Add conc.H2SO4 between two
layer.

ANALYSIS OF CATIONS:
1) To the salt solution add sodium No precipitate Presence of zero group
carbonate solution (Ammonium) is identified
2) To the solution add dil. HCl White precipitate Presence of group 1
(Pb2+) is identified
3) To the solution add dil. HCl and Black precipitate Presence of group 2
pass H2S (Cu2+) is identified
4) To the solution add solid White gelatinous Presence of group 3
ammonium chloride and precipitate (Al3+) is identified
excess
of ammonium hydroxide
5) To the solution add solid White precipitate Presence of group 4
ammonium chloride and (Zn2+) is identified
excess of ammonium
hydroxide. Pass H2S
6) To the solution add solid White precipitate Presence of group 5
ammonium chloride and (Ba2+,Sr2+,Ca2+) is identified
excess of ammonium
hydroxide. Add ammonium
carbonate solution
7) To the solution add solid White precipitate Presence of group 6
ammonium chloride and (Mg2+) is identified
excess of ammonium
hydroxide. Add
sodium hydrogen phosphate

ANALYSIS OF GROUP 0 (AMMONIUM)

1) To the salt solution add NaOH Smell of ammonia. Presence of ammonium ion is
identified
 solution. Warm.
2) To the salt solution add NaOH
solution. Warm. Add
Nesslers reagent.
Gives white dense
fumes when a glass
rod dipped in HCl is
introduced.
Brown precipitate Presence of ammonium ion
is confirmed
ANALYSIS OF GROUP 1 (LEAD)
1) Potassium iodide test : Yellow precipitate Presence of lead ion is
To the salt solution add identified
KI solution
2) Potassium chromate Yellow precipitate Presence of lead ion is
test : confirmed
To the salt solution
add K2CrO4 solution

ANALYSIS OF GROUP 3 (Aluminium)

1) The white precipitate obtained Blue precipitate Presence of aluminium ion is
is floating in identified
dissolved in dil.HCl colourless solution
Add 2 drops of blue litmus
solution. Then add
ammonium
hydroxide dropwise till
blue colour develops.
2) Add excess of NaOH to the salt White precipitate Presence of aluminium ion is
solution soluble in identified
excess of NaOH
3) Ash test is conducted with the Blue ash Presence of aluminium ion is
group precipitate confirmed

2+
ANALYSIS OF GROUP 4(Zn )
1) The white precipitate obtained a) White precipitate Presence of Zn2+ is identified
in gp.4 is dissolved in dil.HCl soluble in excess
of NaOH
And divided into two
b) White/bluish white
a) To one part add NaOH
precipitate
in drops
Presence of Zn2+ is identified
b) To the second part add pot.
ferrocyanide solution
2) Ash test is conducted with the Green ash Presence of Zn2+ confirmed
group precipitate

2+ 2+ 2+
ANALYSIS OF GROUP 5(Ba , Sr ,Ca )
Test for Ba :
 Potassium chromate test :
1) To the salt solution add 1) Yellow precipitate 2+
K2CrO4 solution. Presence of Ba is identified
2) Flame test is conducted with 2) Grassy green flame
the group precipitate. 2+
Presence of Ba is confirmed
Test for Sr :
1) Add ammonium sulphate to 1) White 2+
Presence of Sr is
the salt solution. precipitate
identified
2) Flame test is conducted with
the group precipitate. 2) Crimson
2+
red flame Presence of Sr is
confirmed
Test for Ca :
1) To the salt solution add 1) White 2+
Presence of Ca is identified
ammonium oxalate precipitate
solution. 2+
2) Flame test is conducted 2) Brick red flame Presence of Ca is confirmed
with the group precipitate.
2+
ANALYSIS OF GROUP 6(Mg )
Test for Mg2+ :
1) To the salt solution 1) White Presence of magnesium ion
add ammonium precipitate is identified
phosphate solution. Presence of magnesium ion
2) Ash test is conducted 2) Pale pink ash is confirmed
with group precipitate