Salt

Analysis
Experiment Observation Inference
Preliminary Tests :
1.Colour and appearance Colorless solid Absence of Cu2+, Ni2+,
Fe2+, Co2+ etc.

2. Odour : a. Ammonical smell a. Maybe NH4+

Rub a little salt with a drop
b. Vinegar like smell b. Maybe CH3COO-
of water.
c. No characteristic c. Absence of NH4+,
observation CH3COO-
3. Solubility: a. Soluble and no
a. In H2O precipitate with Na2CO3 a. Presence of NH4+

b. In dil.HCl b. Insoluble b. Presence of Pb2+

4. Flame test: a. Brick red a. Presence of Ca2+
A little of the salt is made b. Crimson red b. Presence of Sr2+
into a paste with conc. HCl.
A glass rod dipped in it and c. Grassy green c. Presence of Ba2+
introduced into the flame.
d. Bluish white d. Presence of Pb2+

e. No characteristic flame e. Absence of Pb2+,

Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+
5. Ash Test: a. Green ash a. Presence of Zn2+
A little of the salt is heated
with conc. HNO3 and cobalt
b. Blue tinted ash b. Presence of Al3+
nitrate solution. A filter
paper is dipped in it and
burned. c. Pale pink ask c. Presence of Mg2+

d. No characteristic ash d. Absence of Zn2+,

Al3+, Mg2+.

Test for Acid Radicals

(Anions)

1. Dil. HCl Test: a. Brisk effervescence of a. Presence of

A little of the salt is added to colorless odorless gas turns carbonate ( CO32-)
dil.HCl taken in a test tube. lime water milky.
b. No characteristic b. Absence of
observation ( No brisk carbonate
effervescence)
2. Dil. H2SO4 Test: a. Smell of vinegar a. Presence of
A little of the salt is rubbed acetate (CH3COO-)
with dil.H2SO4 in a watch a. No characteristic smell b. Absence of
glass and the smell is noted. of vinegar acetate
3. Conc. H2SO4 Test: a. A colorless gas with pungent a. Presence of
A little of the salt is treated
with conc.H2SO4 taken in a
test tube.
4. Paper ball test:
A little of the salt is heated
with conc.H2SO4 and a paper
ball is added to it.
5. BaCl2 Test :
To a little of the salt solution,
BaCl2 solution is added.
smell is evolved. Dense
white fumes are formed
when a glass rod dipped in
NH4OH is shown at the
mouth of the test tube.
b. Light brown gas with
pungent smell on strong
heating.
c. No characteristic change
a. Reddish brown vapours
are evolved
b. No characteristic change
a. A white precipitate
insoluble in excess of
dil.HCl
b. No characteristic change
chloride (Cl-)
b. Presence of nitrate
(NO3-)
c. Absence of Cl-,
NO3-
a. Presence of nitrate
(NO3-)
b. Absence of Nitrate
a. Presence of
sulphate (SO42-)
b. Absence of SO42-

Confirmatory Tests for Anions

I. Carbonate ( CO32-) :-
1. Magnesium sulphate test: A white precipitate is formed Presence of CO32-
To a little of the salt solution, confirmed
MgSO4 is added.
2. BaCl2 Test: A white precipitate is formed Presence of CO32-
A little of the salt solution is which is soluble in dil.HCl confirmed
treated with BaCl2 solution. with evolution of CO2.
II. Acetate ( CH3COO-) :-
1. Oxalic acid test: Smell of vinegar Presence of acetate
A little of the salt is made into confirmed
a paste with oxalic acid.
Rubbed the paste and smell is
noted.
2. Ferric chloride test:
To a little of the salt solution a A reddish brown coloration Presence of acetate
few drops of neutral ferric confirmed
chloride(FeCl2)
III. Chloride (Cl-) :-
1. Silver nitrate test: A white curdy precipitate Presence of chloride
A little of the salt solution is soluble in excess NH4OH is
acidified with dil.HNO3 and formed.
AgNO3 solution is added.
2. Chromyl chloride test: Reddish brown vapours
A little of the salt is heated
with conc.H2SO4 and
potassium dichromate.
The vapours are collected and Yellow solution Presence of chloride
passed through NaOH solution confirmed

The above solution is acidified with A yellow precipitate Presence of Chloride

acetic acid and then treated with confirmed
lead acetate solution.
IV. Nitrate (NO3-) :-
1. Brown ring test:
A little of the salt is acidified with A brown ring at the junction Presence of nitrate
dil.H2SO4. The solution is mixed of the two liquid layers. confirmed
with freshly prepared ferrous-
sulphate solution.
A few drops of con.H2SO4 is then
added to it carefully along the
sides of the test tube without
shaking.
2. To a little of the salt con.H2SO4 Brown vapours and green Presence of nitrate
and Cu turnings are added and solution is formed. confirmed
heated.
V. Sulphate (SO42-) :- A white precipitate soluble in Presence of sulphate
1. To a little of the salt solution
acetic acid and lead acetate are ammonium acetate is confirmed
added. formed
2. Matchstick test:
A pinch of salt, sodium carbonate
and powdered charcoal is made
Violet streaks are produced Presence of sulphate
into a paste. This paste is applied
on one end of a wooden splinter. confirmed
Splinter is heated in reducing
flame till the mass fuses. The fused
mass is dipped into sodium
nitoprusside solution.

Tests for basic radicals

(Cation)
Group Identification No precipitate Presence of zero group
1. A little of the salt is added (NH4+)
with sodium carbonate
solution
2. To a little of the salt a) White precipitate a) Presence of group 1
solution dil.HCl is added cation ( Pb2+)

b) No white precipitate b) Absence of group 1

cation ( Pb2+)
3. To a little of the salt a)Black precipaitate a)presence of group 2
solution, Dil Hcl is added and cation(Cu2+)
H2S is passed through it. b) No precipitate b)Absence of Group2
3. To a little of the salt a) A white gelatinous a) Presence of group 3
solution, NH4Cl and NH4OH precipitate cation (Al3+)
solution are added
b) No white gelatinous b) Absence of group 3
precipitate cation (Al3+)

4. To a little of the salt No white precipitate Absence of group 4

solution, NH4Cl and NH4OH is
added and H2S gas is passes
through it.
5. To a little of the salt
solution NH4Cl, NH4OH and
[(NH4)2CO3]
a) A white precipitate
b) No white precipitate
cation (Zn2+)
a) Presence of group 5
cation(Ba2+, Sr2+, Ca2+)
B) Absence of group 5
cation(Ba2+, Sr2+, Ca2+)

6. To a little of the salt a) A white crystalline a) Presence of group 6

solution NH4Cl, NH4OH and precipitate cation(Mg2+)
disodium hydrogen phosphate
(Na2HPO4) are added. b) No white crystalline b)Absence of group 6
precipitate cation(Mg2+)

Confirmatory tests for Cations:

I. Zero group (NH4+):
1. A little of the salt is boiled
with NaOH solution.
2. To a little of the salt
solution Nessler’s reagent is
added.
II. Group 1 (Pd2+):
1. A little of the salt is acidified
A colorless pungent smelling Presence of NH4+
gas is evolved. Dense white confirmed.
fumes are formed when a
glass rod dipped in con.HCl is
shown into it.
A reddish brown precipitate Presence of NH4+
is formed confirmed
Yellow precipitate is formed Presence of lead (Pb2+)
confirmed
with acetic acid and potassium
chromate (K2CrO4) is added.
2. To a little of the salt A golden yellow precipitate Presence of lead (Pb2+)
solution, potassium iodide (KI) is formed which is soluble in confirmed
is added. hot water and crystallized as
golden spangles on cooling.
3+
III. Group 3 (Al ): A white gelatinous Presence of aluminium
1. A little of the salt solution is precipitate soluble in excess (Al3+) confirmed
treated with NaOH solution NaOH
2. Lake test:
A little of the salt is dissolved Blue precipitate floating in Presence of Al3+
in dil.HCl. Two drops of blue colorless solution confirmed
litmus solution is added to it.
To this, NH4OH is added drop
wise till blue color develops.
3. Ash test:
A little of the salt is heated Blue tinted ash Presence of Al3+
with con.HCl and cobalt confirmed
nitrate solution. A filter paper
is dipped in it and burnt
IV. Group 5 (Ba2+, Ca2+, Sr2+):

Ba2+
1. Potassium chromate test: An yellow precipitate Presence of barium
To the salt solution, dil.acetic acid (Ba2+) confirmed
and potassium chromate solution
are added.
2. Flame test:
A little of the salt is made into a Grassy green color flame Presence of Ba2+
paste with con.HCl & shown into a confirmed
non-luminous flame.
Ca2+
1. Ammonium oxalate test:
To the salt solution, a few drops of
A white precipitate is Presence of calcium
ammonium oxalate solution is formed (Ca2+) confirmed
added. A little of NH4OH is added
to it and the sides of the test tube
is scratched with a glass rod
2. Flame test:
A little of the salt is made into a Brick red flame Presence of Ca2+
paste with con.HCl and shown into confirmed
a non-luminous flame.
V. Group 6 (Mg2+): Lake blue precipitate in Presence of
1. To a little of the salt solution,
magneson reagent
excess of NaOH to form magnesium (Mg2+)
deep blue solution confirmed
2. Ammonium phosphate test:
To a little of the salt solution, solid A white precipitate is Presence of Mg2+
NH4Cl and NH4OH is added. Then formed confirmed
ammonium phosphate solution is
added and sides of the test tube is
rubbed with a glass rod.
3. Ash test:
A little of the salt solution is boiled Pink ash Presence of Mg2+
with con.HNO3 and cobalt nitrate confirmed
solution. A filter paper dipped in
this solution is burnt.