ANALYSIS OF SALT

AIM -To identify the anion and cation present in given

salt sample.
PRELIMINARY TESTS
S.NO EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

1. Colour of the salt Colourless Absence of Cu2+,

Fe2+ and Fe3+ salts

2. Smell of the salt Pungent smell Presence of

ammonium salt

3. Nature of the salt Crystalline Presence of

hydrated salt

4. FLAME TEST:
Salt + conc. HCl paste is No coloured flame Absence of Cu2+,
introduced into the flame Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+

5. ACTION OF HEAT:
Salt is heated in a dry test White sublimate Presence of
tube and smell of NH3 ammonium salt

Colourless CO2 gas Presence of

turns lime water carbonate
milky

6. ASH TEST:
Salt + 2-3 drops of cobalt No coloured ash Absence of Zn2+,
nitrate solution. Soak a Al3+ and Mg2+
 filter paper in the above
mixture and completely
burnt

ANALYSIS OF ANION
Preparation of sodium carbonate extract:
Salt + twice the amount of Na2CO3 + 10 ml of distilled water. Boil and
filter. Filtrate is used for wet tests.

As salt is soluble in water Na2CO3 extract is not prepared

S.NO EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

1. Dil. Acid group test:

Salt + dil. HCl or dil H2SO4 Brisk Presence of

effervescence Carbonate

2. Conc. Acid group test:

Salt+ conc. H2SO4 in a dry No pungent Absence of

test tube smelling gas Chloride and
and reddish- Nitrate
brown gas

3. Cu-turning test:

Salt+ Conc. H2SO4+copper No reddish- Absence of

turning and heated gently brown vapours Nitrate

4. No reaction group test:

 Salt solution + lead acetate + No White ppt Presence of
acetic acid sulphate

CONFIRMATORY TEST for ANION

1. Salt solution + dil. HCl Brisk CO32- Confirmed

effervescence
with colourless
gas
2. Brisk effervescence with Lime water turns CO32- Confirmed
colourless gas is milky
passed through fresh
lime water

ANALYSIS OF CATIONS
Original solution
Salt+ distilled water solution of salt is used for group analysis

S.NO EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

1. ZERO GROUP Pungent smell gas

Salt + NaOH Boil and test the turns red litmus Presence of
gas with litmus paper and paper blue gives Ammonium
glass rod dipped in conc. HCl dense white fumes ion
with conc. HCl
2. I GROUP
Original solution + dil. HCl No white ppt Absence of Pb2+

3. II GROUP
Original solution + dil. HCl + No black ppt Absence of Cu2+
H2S
4. III GROUP
Original solution + NH4Cl No White ppt Absence of Al3+
solid + NH4OH in excess
5. IV GROUP
2+
Original solution + NH4Cl No dirty white ppt Absence of Zn
solid+ NH4OH+H2S
6. V GROUP
Original solution + NH4Cl No White ppt Absence of Ca2+,
solid + NH4OH + (NH4)2CO3 Sr2+ and Ba2+
in excess
7. VI GROUP
Original solution +NH4Cl No white ppt Absence of Mg2+
solid + excess NH4OH +
Disodium hydrogen
phosphate and shake well

CONFIRMATORY TEST for CATION

1. Original solution + Nessler’s Reddish brown NH4+ confirmed
reagent + NaOH ppt

2. Salt + NaOH Boil and test Pungent smell NH4+ confirmed

 the gas with litmus paper and gas turns red
glass rod dipped in conc. HCl litmus paper blue
gives dense
white fumes with
conc. HCl

RESULT:
The given salt contain cation- AMMONIUM (NH4+)
anion- CARBONATE (CO32-)