POST LABORATORY

EXPERIMENT 5

REACTION AND ANALYSIS OF

THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE
GROUP
 1. WHY IS THE ION OF LEAD
FOUND IN BOTH GROUPS I AND
II?
-lead(II) chloride precipitates lead(11) in
presence of chlorides but its solubility is not
that low and even if the hence obtained
solution is filtered and the filtrate passed
through H2S gas still the concentration of
lead(II) is sufficient enough to get
precipitated as lead(II) sulphide whose black
colour is appreciably visible.

Since lead is not completely precipitated by

HCl in the 1st group, it is placed in both the
groups.
Simply because lead fits both analytical groups:

• it forms lead(II) chloride PbCl2PbClX2, a

poor soluble chloride, which puts it in the 1st
group;
• it also forms lead(II) sulfide PbSPbS,
insoluble in water and diluted acids, which also
puts it in the 2nd group.
One reason for putting lead in both groups is
that the chloride is somewhat of a borderline
case in terms of being insoluble enough to
appear in Group I. Group II represents a more
complicated analysis but is more sensitive for
lead.
2. WHAT PROPERTY IS USED
AS THE BASIS FOR THE
SEPARATION OF COPPER
SUBGROUP IIA FROM THE TIN
SUBGROUP?
-
3. GIVE THE COLOR OF EACH
OF THE FOLLOWING:
 COLOR COLOR
Cu(NH3 ) 42+ PbSO4

As2S3 Cd(NH3 ) 42+

Bi(OH) 3 Bi2S3

SnS2 HgS

CuS Sbo

PbS Bio
 4. WHY MUST THE SODIUM STANNITE
WHICH IS USED IN THE IDENTIFICATION
OF BISMUTH BE PREPARED JUST PRIOR
TO ITS USE?
-2) reaction with sodium stannite
Although this essay is very simple it is also really accurate. We
run the reaction directly on the precipitate of bismuth
hydroxide Bi(OH)3.
The reagent is sodium stannite. It is prepared starting from
SnCl2 by addition of soda Na(OH) dropwise. Initially tin(II)
hydroxide forms, and is then added an excess of soda until the
hydroxide is not solubilized again:
Sn2+ + 2OH- SnOH2
SnOH2 + 2OH- SnO22- + 2H2O
Preparing this reagent is, as you may have noticed, another
good demonstration of the amphoteric nature of certains
cations. Anyway, just adding one or two drops of a freshly
prepared solution of stannite to our precipitate we should
observe (where bismuth is present) an instant darkening due to
the reduction to elementary bismuth Bi°.
2BI(OH)3 + 3SnO22- 2Bi° + 3SnO32- + 3H2O
5. SELECT A REAGENT USED IN THE
ANALYSIS OF GROUP I AND II THAT
WILL IN ONE STEP SEPARATES EACH
OF THE FOLLOWING PAIRS:
A.CdS, HgS - H2S
B.Ag ,Bi
+ 3+ -NaOH

C.As2S3, SnS2 - - H2S

D.CuS, CdS - H2S
E.Bi , Cd
3+ 2+ - NaOH
 6. OUTLINE THE SEPARATION OF
THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF IONS,
LEAVING OUT ALL UNNECESSARY
STEPS
Ag+,Hg2+,Co2+

Pb2+,Cu2+,Cd2+

Bi3+,As3+,Sb3+