CHEMISTRY SCHOOL

Testing for sulfate ion

2-
(Sulphate | SO4 ) in
Qualitative Analysis
There are several tests for sulfate ion to
identify from other anions in qualitative
analysis. Some of metal sulfate compounds
are soluble in water and some metal sulfates
form precipitates. Sulfate compounds of
several metal cations form precipitates with
specific colours. In this tutorial we will
discuss followings regarding how to identify
sulfate ion by considering solubility, colours
and more physical and chemical
characteristics with example questions.

Compounds of sulfates

Sulfate of group IA metals

Sulfate of alkali metals
Sulfate of alkali metals

Soluble compounds of sulfate ion (in water)

Sulfate ion testing experiments

Testing for Sulfate ion with

aqueous barium chloride solution

Testing of sulfate ion with

strontium chloride solution

Testing of sulfate ion with Silver

nitrate

Testing of Sulfate ion and calcium

chloride

Testing of Sulfate ion solution

with lead acetate (Pb(CH3COO)2)

3d metal sulfate compounds

Precipitate list of sulfate ion with colours

3d metal sulfate compounds

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Compounds of sulfates
Sulfate ion exists as many compounds.
Some of them dissolve in water and some of
them give white or different colour
precipitates. Sulfate compounds of 3d
metals show colours. Sulfuric acid ( H2SO4 )
is a strong acid and completely dissociate in
water to sulfate ion and two hydrogen plus
ions. H2SO4 is a dibasic acid.

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Sulfates of group IA metal

cations
Here, we will discuss about properties,
colours, solubility in water and other
characteristics of sulfates of alkali metal
cations and alkali earth metal cations.

Sulfate of alkali metal cations

All sulfates of alkali metals are soluble in
water and give colourless aqueous solutions.
Solubility of sulfates of alkali metal cations
are mentioned in following table.

Alkali metal Chemical Solubility

sulfate formula (g/100 ml)

Lithium sulfate Li2SO4 34.9 at 250C

Sodium sulfate Na2SO4 28.1 at 250C

Potassium K2SO4 120 at 250C

sulfate

Sulfate of alkali earth metal cations

Solubility of alkali earth metalsulfates vary
from top to the bottom of the group IIA.
Beryllium sulfate and Magnesium sulfate are
soluble in water and give colourless solutions.
Calcium sulfate and Strontium sulfate are
dissolved to some extent in water. If
concentration of cations and sulfate ion is high,
there is a possibility of giving the respective
precipitate. Both Calcium sulfate and Strontium
sulfate are white colour precipitates.
Barium sulfate is not soluble in water and give a
white precipitate.

Soluble compounds of
sulfate ion (in water)
All alkali metal sulfate are soluble in water. (
Examples: Li2SO4, Na2SO4 )
From alkali earth metal sulfates, Beryllium
sulfate and Magnesium sulfate are readily
soluble and give colourless solution.
Most of the 3d metal sulfate compounds are
soluble. CuSO4 aqueous solution is a blue
solution.

Sulfate ion testing

experiments
Following experiments are conducted to test
occurrence of sulfate ion. A summarized
tests

Testing for Sulfate ion with aqueous

barium chloride solution
Add aqueous barium chloride (BaCl2)
solution to the sulfate ion solution and
observe the differences. Barium sulfate
(BaSO4), is a white precipitate. BaSO4 is
not soluble in strong acids and dilute acids.

Case study: In the presence of sulfite ion

In the presence of sulfite ion, a white
precipitate (Barium sulfite) can be given
similar to Barium sulfate. Therefore, a fault
decision can be made by thinking of the
presence of sulfate ion. To remove sulfite ion
first, add dilute HCl to remove sulfite ion
before adding barium chloride.

Testing of sulfate ion with strontium

chloride solution
Add aqueous strontium chloride (SrCl2)
solution to the sulfate ion solution and
observe the physical changes. Strontium
chloride ( SrCl2 ) gives Strontium sulfate (
SrSO4) which is a white precipitate with
sulfate ion solutions. Strontium sulfate is
insoluble in acids.

Testing of sulfate ion with Silver

nitrate
Silver nitrate (AgNO3) does not form a
precipitate with aqueous dilute sulfate ion
solutions. Silver sulfate (Ag2SO4) is fairly
soluble in water. However concentrated
SIlver sulfate solution may be deposited as a
precipitate.

Testing of Sulfate ion and calcium

chloride
Calcium sulfate is soluble to some extent in
water. If Ca2+ and SO42- ions concentration
in the water are high, a white precipitate (
CaSO4 ) forms. When adding water,
precipitate dissolves to give a colourless
solution again.

Testing of Sulfate ion solution with

lead acetate (Pb(CH3COO)2)
When sodium sulfate is added to the
aqueous lead acetate solution, Lead sulfate
(PbSO4), a white precipitate is given. PbSO4
is soluble in caustic alkalis and in ammonium
acetate solutions. But PbSO4 is not soluble
in dilute acids.

3d metal sulfate compounds

In here, we are going to study solubility and
colours of 3d metal sulfate compounds.

Manganese sulfate | MnSO4

Manganese sulfate is a white orthorhombic
crystals at solid state. MnSO4 dissolves in
water.

Copper sulfate | CuSO4

Aqueous copper sulfate solution is blue
colour. But when dehydrated copper sulfate
is white a powder.

Testing for sulfate ions in

dilute sulfuric acid solution
Add barium chloride to dilute sulfuric acid
solution. It will give a white precipitate,
barium sulfate. Separate the precipitate
from the solution and add a dilute acid such
as HCl to the precipitate. Precipitate does
not dissolve in dilute acid. So that says us,
there were sulfate ions in the initial solution
as an anion.

Identify hydrochloric acid and s…

Precipitate list of sulfate ion

with colours
Strontium sulfate - SrSO4 - white
Barium sulfate - BaSO4 - - white
Lead sulfate - PbSO4 - white
Calcium sulfate is precipitated in higher
concentrations of calcium and sulfate ions.

Questions about sulfate ion

solution

Identifying sulphate and halide

compounds of sodium ?

To identify sulphate and halide compound, a

cation should form a precipitate with those
one anion. Add aqueous barium nitrate
solution to sodium halide solution and
sodium sulfate solution.
Barium forms barium sulphate, the white
precipitate in sodium sulphate solution and
no changes in sodium halide solution
because all barium halides are soluble and
colourless solutions.

How to separate sulfate ion and

sulfite ion?
Think, there are two colourless solutions.
One solution contains sulfate ion and other
one has sulfite ion. You are said to identify
which solution have sulfate ion.
Add barium chloride to both solutions
separately. You can see a forming white
precipitates in both solutions.

Add dilute HCl to the both solutions. Then

one precipitate dissolves and give colourless
solution. That is for solution which contains
sulfite ion.

How do you identify calcium

carbonate and calcium sulfate?
There are two two solids and your teacher
said that one of them is calcium carbonate
and other one is calcium sulfate. Now you
have to identify which solid is calcium
carbonate by doing some tests.
This can be done by simple experiment. Add
both solids to little amount two water
samples separately. Two white precipitates
form. Now add water to both flask. At one
moment you can see, one white precipitate
dissolve completely and give colourless
solutions. That is calcium sulfate.

Can I identify sulfate ion from dilute

HCl?
You cannot identify sulfate ion from dilute
HCl. If sulfate ion exists as a precipitate, it
does not dissolve in dilute HCl because
precipitates of metal sulfates are do not
dissolve in dilute acids.
But if metal ion has a abililty to make a
precipitate or colour with chloride ion, we
can see a precipitate is forming in the
solution.

How to identify dilute hydrochloric

acid and sulfuric acid solutions?
Both acids dissolve in water very wel .
Hydrochloric acid gives chloride ions and
sulfuric acid gives sulfate ions. So testing
should be tested for chloride ion and sulfate
ion to identify two anions.

Add barium hydroxide to samples of HCl and

H2SO4
.
In one flask, a white precipitate forms. Write
two reactions occurs in the flasks to know
what are the products. Bioth reactions are
acid - base reactions
HCl + Ba(OH)2 = BaCl2 + H20

H2SO4 + Ba(OH)2 = BaSO4 + 2H2O

BaCl2 is a colourless aqueous solution. But
BaSO4 is a white precipitate and deposited
in the bottom of the solution which is clearly
observed. So dilute hydrochloric acid and
sulfuric acid solutions can be identified.

Silver sulfate and HCl reaction

When dilute HCl is added to the aqueous
silver sulfate solution, a white precipitate
(silver chloride - AgCl) is given.

Li2SO4 soluble or insoluble in

water?
Lithium sulfate is soluble in water and it
completely decomposes to lithium and
sulfate ion.

How do you identify copper sulfate?

Add dilute NaOH to copper sulfate solution. It
will give copper hydroxide which is blue
precipitate.

How we distinguish sulphate ion

using hcl and barium chloride?
First add dilute HCl to remove sulfite ion if
sulfite ion is in the solution. Otherwise, sulfite
ion will give barium sulfite as a white
precipitate.
After HCl adding, then add barium chloride
to the sulfate solution. Then a white
precipitate, BaSO4 is given.

colour of sulphate ion?

Sulphate ion does not cause for colours.
When sulphate ion is combined with cation
such as 3d metal ion which have the ability
to show colours, those metal sulphate
compounds show colours.

What is the colour of SO42- ion

Metal SO42- solutions can be colourless or
has colours. As an example aqueous CuSO4
is a blue colour solution. But, aqueous
MgSO4 solution is a colourless one. So you
should understand, colour of the solution
may not depend always on SO42- ion.

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for Grade 12 Class

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Solubility if inorganic Compounds, s,p,d block

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Identify carbonate ions

identify chromium compounds

Testing for thiosulfate (S2O32-)

Testing for phosphate ion

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