Analysis of simple salt – (Aluminium sulphate)

Experiment Observation Inference

1. Colour: Colour of Colourless Absence of copper,
the salt is noted Manganese, Nickel and
Ferric.
2. Smell: Smell of the No characteristic smell Absence of ammonium or
salt is noted acetate salt
3. Action of heat: No characteristic Absence of ammonium,
A pinch of salt in observation. carbonate, zinc etc.,
the dry test tube is
heated.
4. Flame test:
A pinch of salt is No characteristic colour in Absence copper, barium,
taken in a watch the flame. strontium and calcium.
glass and made into
a paste with Conc.
HCl. Introduce the
paste into luminous
part of the flame.
5. Ash test:
To the pinch of salt Blue ash Presence of Aluminium.
taken in a test tube,
few drops of cobalt
nitrate solution is
added. A filter
paper is soaked
into the solution
and burn it until it
turns into ash.
Dry tests:
1. Dil HCl test: To the No brisk effervescence is Absence of carbonate.
pinch of salt taken seen.
in a test tube, few
drops of Dil. HCl is
added.
2. Conc. H2SO4 test: No characteristic Absence of Chloride,
To the pinch of salt observation. Nitrate and acetate.
taken in a test tube,
few drops of Conc.
H2SO4 is added and
heated slightly.
3. MnO2 test: To a No characteristic Absence of chloride.
pinch of a salt in observation.
the test tube add
half a pinch of
 MnO2 and then add
few drops of conc.
H2SO4 and heat.
4. Chromyl chloride No yellow orange Absence of chloride.
test: To the pinch vapours.
of salt taken in a
test tube, a pinch of
potassium
dichromate and few
drops of Conc.
H2SO4 is added and
then heated gently.
5. Copper turning No red brown fumes. Absence of nitrate.
test: To the pinch
of salt taken in a
test tube, add
copper turnings and
Conc. H2SO4 and
heated.
6. Ferric chloride test: No red precipitation. Absence of acetate.
To the pinch of salt
taken in a test tube,
add few ml of
neutral ferric
chloride solution
and heated.
7. Ester test: To a No characteristic Absence of acetate.
pinch of salt add observation.
few mL of ethyl
alcohol and few
drops of conc.
H2SO4 and warm
heat it gently.

Preparation of original salt solution (OS): To a pinch of salt taken in a test tube add
20 mL of distilled water and shaken well.
Experiment Observation Inference
1. Silver nitrate test: No characteristic Absence of chloride
To a part of OS, observation.
add few drops of
silver nitrate
solution.
 2. Barium chloride White precipitate Presence of sulphate is
test: To a part of insoluble in conc. HCl is confirmed.
OS add BaCl2 obtained.
solution.
3. Lead acetate test: White precipitate soluble Presence of sulphate is
To a part of OS, in ammonium acetate and confirmed.
add lead acetate sodium hydroxide mixture
solution. is obtained.
4. Brown ring test: To No characteristic Absence of nitrate.
a part of OS, add observation.
twice the part of
freshly prepared
ferrous sulphate
solution and then
add Conc.
Sulphuric acid
slowly along the
inner sides of the
test tube.
5. To the part of OS, No characteristic Absence of phosphate.
add Conc. HNO3 in observation.
excess and allow it
to boil until all the
vapours get
evolved. Then cool
the content slowly
and add ammonium
molybdate reagent.
6. To the part of OS, No characteristic Absence of phosphate.
add dil. HCl and observation.
heat and cool it.
Then add magnesia
mixture to the
content.

Basic radical Analysis - Group Analysis

1. Zero Group radical: No characteristic Absence of zero group
To a pinch of salt observation. radical – Ammonium.
taken in a test tube,
few drops NaOH
solution is added
and heated.
 2. To a part of OS, No White precipitate. Absence of I group radical
add dil. HCl. – Lead.
3. To a part of OS, No black precipitate. Absence of II group
add dil. HCl and radical – Copper.
YAS solution.
4. To a part of OS, Gelatinous white Presence of III group
add NH4Cl and precipitate is obtained. radical – Aluminium
NH4OH solution.

Confirmatory test: For Aluminium radical:

Experiment Observation Inference
To a part of OS add Red lake is obtained. Presence of Aluminium
aluminon reagent solution. radical is confirmed.

Result:
1. The given acid radical is Sulphate.
2. The given basic radical is Aluminium.
3. So, the given simple salt is Aluminium sulphate.