SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

TO : MR. EMMANUEL

FROM : YOWELI MEKE

REG NUMBER : BSC-FN-01-22

COURSE TITLE : PERIODICITY, MOLECULAR BONDING AND

COORDINATION CHEMISTRY

COURSE CODE : CHE 222

EXPERIMENT # : 1

EXPERIMENT TITLE : QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF ANIONS IN SOLUTION

DUE DATE : 15TH APRIL, 2024

INTRODCUTION

Qualitative analysis is the branch of analytical chemistry concerned with identifying and
characterizing substances based on their chemical and physical properties (Harris, 2012).
Inorganic qualitative analysis is the process of determining the identity of anions and cation
present in a solution. This technique of analysis of is very important in many areas of chemistry
including environmental chemistry, food sciences and pharmaceutical development. The analysis
is often used to determine the purity of substances or unknown mixture and also detecting
impurities in another known compound. Qualitative analysis of anions in a solution involves a
series of well-established methods and procedures that are aimed identifying the specific anions
present in a sample. Some of the most common techniques used in qualitative analysis of anions
include precipitation reactions, acid- base titrations, redox reactions and gas evolvement methods
(skougstad & Singleton, 1979). These methods are based on the availability of specific reagent
that react differently with anions thereby producing different characteristic reaction product that
can be used to identify the anions present in a sample.
ANION TEST OBSERVATIONS DEDUCTIONS
Add 1 cm3 barium nitrate solution Whitish precipitate Ba (NO3)2(aq) +HNO3(aq)
followed by dilute nitric acid to formed +SO42-(aq) → BaSO4(s) +
about 1 cm3 of solution SO42- 2HNO3(aq)
SO42-
White precipitate is due
to barium sulphate which
are insoluble
Add 1 cm3 of lead (II) nitrate Milky precipitate Pb(NO3)2(aq) + SO42-(aq) →
solution to about 1cm3 of fresh SO42- formed PbSO4(s) +NO3(aq)
Milky precipitate are
insoluble particles of
lead sulphate
To 2 cm3 of SO32-(aq) solution, add 5 No change SO32-(aq) + HCl(l) → SO2(g)
drops of 2M HCl (aq) solution. + H2O(l) + Cl-(aq)
Gas produced
Shake the test tube.
Heat the test tube on flame. No change
If gas evolved, test it using moist Colour of paper
dichromate paper. changes from orange
to green
To 2 cm3 of SO32- solution, add White precipitate BaCl2(aq) + SO32-(aq)
BaCl2 solution drop wisely. formed →BaSO3(s) + 2Cl-(aq)
SO32-
White precipitate are
solid particles of barium
sulphate which are
insoluble
Then add 2M HCl to the ppt and Precipitates BaSO3(aq) + 2HCl(l)
note what happens dissolves →BaCl2(aq) + SO2(q) +
H2O(l)
To 2 cm3 of SO32-, add a solution of Brown colour SO32- + 2KI → K2SO3 +
I2 in KI drop wisely. obtained I2
TO BE DONE IN A FUME Forms milky colour S2O32-(aq) +HCl(l)→SO2(g) +
HOOD
S(s) + H2O(l) + Cl-(aq)
To 2 cm3 of the solution, add 5
S2O32-
drops of 2M HCl (aq) solution and
shake the test tube.
 (if there is no reaction, heat the test
tube)

Test the gas evolved by placing Colour changes from K2CrO7(aq) + SO2(g)
damp acidified K2CrO7 paper on the orange to green. →Cr2(SO4)3(aq) + 2K(s)
mouth of the test tube.
TO BE DONE IN A FUME
HOOD
S2-
To 2 cm3 of the solution, add 5
drops of 2M HCl (aq) solution and
shake the test tube). A smell like a rotten S2-(aq) + 2HCl (aq)
egg was produced →H2S(g) +2Cl-(aq)
Milky colour formed

Add 5 drops of 0.25M lead Black precipitate S2-(aq) + Pb(CH3COO)2 (aq)

acetate(aq) solution (the was formed → PbS(S) +2CH3COOH(aq)
supernatant) to 1 cm3 fresh solution
Test tube felt cold
of S2-.
Add 5 drops 2M HCl (aq) solution No colour change NO3- (aq)+ HCl (aq) → no
to 2 cm3 NO3- (aq) solution and reaction
shake the test tube.
There is no distinct
characteristics like colour
NO3- and odour
Add 2 cm3 of 2M NaOH (aq) Milky colour NO3(aq) + NaOH(aq) →
solution to 2 cm3 of fresh NO3- observed NaNO3(aq) + H2O(aq)
solution and shake the test tube.
Add a little amount of aluminum Grey colour 3NaNO3(aq) + 4Al(s)
powder to mixture prepared above precipitate →3NaNO2(aq) + Al2O3(s) +
and leave to stand. 2+NO(g)
Heat released
Test any gas produced (concentrate Gas present Nitric oxide
the gas before testing).
 BROWN RING TEST Brown ring is 3FeSO4(aq) + 2NaNO3(aq) +
formed 2H2SO4(aq) → Fe2(SO4)3()
(Use 0.2M NaNO3)
+2NaHSO4 + 2HNO3 +
Heat is produced
Add 2 cm3 of acidified 0.1M FeSO4 - 2H20(l) +2NO(g)
to 2 cm3 NO3- solution into a test
The reaction is
tube. Then add 3-5 drops of conc.
exothermic
H2SO4 slowly through the inside
walls of the test tube and observe
what happens.

USE 4.0M NaNO2 No colour change NaNO2(aq) + HCl(aq) →

Add 10 drops 2M HCl (aq) solution
to 2 cm3 NO2- (aq) solution and
shake the test tube.
NO2-
USE 4.0M NaNO2
Add 10 drops 2M HCl (aq) solution
to 2 cm3 NO2- (aq) solution and
shake the test tube.
HNO2+NaCl
The reaction is a
neutralization reaction,
which forms nitrous acid
and sodium chloride
No change 2NaOH(aq)+2NaNO2(aq)
→2Na2O(aq) +2HNO2(aq)
Sodium nitrate (NaNO3)
produced is the colorless
in form by which one
cannot see if whether the
reaction occurred or not

Add a little amount of aluminum Test tube was warm 10Al(s)+ 2Na2O(aq)
powder to mixture. Shake and leave +2HNO2(aq) → 2NaAlO2
Bubbles were
to stand +N2O(g)+4H2O(l)
observed
The reaction was
Grey precipitate
exothermic
If gas evolved test it. (Remember to Gas present Nitrous oxide
concentrate the gas first).
BROWN RING TEST Brown ring is NaNO2(aq) + FeSO4(aq) →
formed (Fe(NO)(H2O)5)2+
(Use 0.2M NaNO2)
The reaction produces
Add 10 drops 0.1M FeSO4 (aq) into
brown ring
a test tube and slowly through the
inside walls of the test tube. Add 2
cm3 NO2- solution and observe what
happens.
 Add 5 drops of 2M HCl (aq) Changes colour from 16HCl (aq)+ 2CrO42- (aq)
solution to 2 cm3 of CrO42- (aq) yellow to orange →H2CrO4 + 2Cl-
solution.
The addition of acid
CrO42-
makes the equilibrium to
shift towards the right
side, hence producing
more orange colour
dichromate (VI) ions
Add 5 drops of 2M NaOH (aq) Colour changes from NaOH(aq) + H2CrO4
solution to mixture formed in the orange to yellow →NaCrO4 + H2O
previous step.

To about 1 cm3 of solution Cl. Add

about 1 cm3 of dilute nitric acid
followed by a few drops of aqueous
Cl- sliver nitrate.
To about 1 cm3 of fresh Cl add
about 1 cm3 dilute hydrochloric acid.
Boil the mixture gently for a minute
and then add a few drops of aqueous
barium chloride.
SERIES OF TESTS
Series of tests carried using X as a
solution of anion.

X
Add 2 cm3 of 2M NaOH (aq) Colour changes from NaOH(aq) + CrO42-
solution to 2 cm3 of fresh X orange to yellow →NaCrO4 + H2O
solution and shake the test tube.
Due to colour change,
conclusion was made
that solution X was
CrO42-
Add a little amount of aluminium Al + NaCrO4 + H2O
powder to mixture. Shake and leave →Al(OH)+Cr(OH)3
to stand

Y Add 1 cm3 barium nitrate solution Whitish precipitate Ba (NO3)2(aq) +HNO3(aq)

followed by dilute nitric acid to formed +SO42-(aq) → BaSO4(s) +
 about 1 cm3 of solution Y 2HNO3(aq)
Add 1 cm3 of lead (II) nitrate Milky precipitate Pb(NO3)2(aq) + SO42-(aq)
solution to about 1cm3 of fresh Y formed →PbSO4(s) +NO3(aq)
Due to the milky
precipitate, a conclusion
was made that solution Y
was SO42-
Z USE 4.0M NaNO2 No colour change NaNO2(aq) + HCl(aq)
→HNO2+NaCl
Add 10 drops 2M HCl (aq) solution
to 2 cm3 of Z (aq) solution and shake The reaction is a
the test tube. neutralization reaction,
which forms nitrous acid
and sodium chloride
Add a little amount of aluminum Test tube was warm 10Al(s)+ 2Na2O(aq)
powder to mixture. Shake and leave +2HNO2(aq) = 2NaAlO2
Bubbles were
to stand +N2O(g)+4H2O(l)
observed
The reaction was
Grey precipitate
exothermic
Due to the presence of
bubbles, with these test
conclusion was made
that the unknown
solution Z was NO2-

COCLUSION
Having looked at a number of tests, conclusion can be made that using qualitative analysis test it
is possible to identify the unknown anions from a given compound. In the experiment conducted
unknown compound X, Y and Z were identified to be CrO42-, SO4- and NO2- respectively after
series of test were carried out. However is important to that absence of a particular anion in a
sample does not necessarily mean that the sample is free of anions. It may be possible that other
anions may be present but were not detected by specific test used in the analysis.