General Chemistry Laboratory

Faculty Of Engineering
Dr. Othman Dakhil

SYSTEMATIC QUALITATIVE
ANALYSIS
4TH LECTURE

1
Step-III : Test for Sulphate and Phosphate
If no positive test is obtained in Steps-I and II, then tests for the presence of sulphate and phosphate ions are performed.

2
Chemistry of Confirmatory Tests
1. Test of Sulphate ions [SO42-]
(a) Aqueous solution of the salt acidified with acetic acid on addition of barium chloride gives a white precipitate of barium
sulphate insoluble in conc. HCl or conc. HNO3 .
Na2SO4 + BaCl2 → BaSO4 + 2NaCl
Barium sulphate
(White precipitate)
(b) Sulphate ions give white precipitate of lead sulphate when aqueous solution or sodium carbonate extract neutralised with
acetic acid is treated with lead acetate solution.
Na2SO4 + (CH3COO)2Pb → PbSO4 + 2CH3COONa
Lead sulphate
(White precipitate)
2. Test for Phosphate ion [PO4-3
(a) Add conc. HNO3 and ammonium molybdate solution to the test solution containing phosphate ions and boil. A yellow
colouration in solution or a canary yellow precipitate of ammonium-phosphomolybdate, (NH 4)3[P (Mo3O10)4] is formed. Each
oxygen of phosphate has been replaced by Mo3O10 group.
Na2HPO4 + 12 (NH4)2 MoO4 + 23 HNO3 → (NH4)3[P (Mo3O10)4] + 2NaNO3 + 21NH4NO3 + 12H2O
Canary yellow