General Procedure for Systematic Analysis of Simple Salt
S.No Experiment Observation Inference
Preliminary Tests:
1. Colour & a) Colourless a) Absence of Copper, Nickel,
Appearance: a) Ferric, Manganese
Colour of the Salt
is noted b) Blue Colour b) May be Copper Salt
c) Brown Colour c) May be Ferric Salt
d) Green Colour d) May be Nickel Salt
e) Pale Pink Colour e) May be Manganese salt
f) Pink Colour f) May be Cobalt Salt
b) Physical state of a) Crystalline a) May be sulphate, nitrate or
the salt is noted chloride salts
b) Powdery b) May be carbonate or
sulphide Salts
2. Smell : a) Ammoniacal Smell a) May be Ammonium Salt
Take a pinch of salt
between your fingers
b) Vinegar smell b) May be acetate Salt
and rub with a drop of
water.
c) Rotten like Smell c) May be sulphide salt
3. Solubility:
Solubility of the salt is
noted.
In water a)Soluble a) May be sulphate, nitrate,
chloride salts or ammonium
carbonate
4. Action of Heat: a) Colourless, odourless a) May be carbonate
A small amount of the gas turning Lime
salt is heated gently in water milky
a dry test tube
b) Brown fumes b) May be nitrate or bromide
c) Ammoniacal smell c) May be Ammonium
d) Decrepitation occurs d) May be presence of nitrate
with evolution of reddish of Lead or Barium
brown gas
e) Salt sublimes with e) May be hydrated salt
evolution of pungent
smelling gas giving
dense white fumes with a
glass rod dipped in conc
HCl
f) Yellow on hot white on f) May be a Zinc salt
cold
g) No characteristic g) Absence of nitrate bromide,
observation Ammonium, Barium, Zinc salt
5. Flame Test: Take a a) Blue coloured flame a) May be Copper salt
pinch of salt and make
a paste with a few drops b) Apple green flame b) May be Barium salt
of Con. HCl and
introduce it in the c) Crimson red salt c) May be Strontium salt
luminous part of the
flame..
d) Brick red flame d) May be Calcium salt
e) No characteristic flame e) Absence of Copper, Barium,
Strontium, Calcium
6. Ash test: Take a pinch a) Green ash a) May be Zinc
of salt and add a few
drops of Cobalt nitrate b) Blue ash b) May be Aluminium
solution. Dip a filter
paper and burn it. Look c) Pink ash c) May be Magnesium
into the colour of the
ash d) No colour ash d) Absence of Zinc,
Aluminium, Magnesium
DRY TESTS:
1. Dil.HCl Test: To a a) Brisk Effervescence, A a) Presence of carbonate is
pinch of salt add colourless gas turns confirmed
dil.HCl. lime
water milky.
b) No brisk effervescence b) Absence of carbonate
2. Con .H2SO4 Test: To a) Colourless gas a) Presence of chloride
a pinch of salt, add fuming with a rod
con. Sulphuric acid dipped in
and warm NH4OH
b) Brown Gas b) Presence of nitrate or bromide
c) Vinegar like smell c) Presence of acetate
d) No characteristic d) Absence of chloride, nitrate,
observation bromide and acetate.
3. Chromyl chloride a) Yellow orange vapours a) Presence of chloride is confirmed
Test: To a pinch of salt which gives a yellow
add a pinch of K2Cr2O7 ppt
and con H2SO4 and with lead acetate
heat pass the fumes solution.
into a test tube
containing NaOH and b) No yellow orange b) Absence of chloride
add acetic acid and vapours
lead
acetate solution.
4. MnO2 Test: To a pinch a) Greenish yellow gas a) Presence of chloride
of salt add half a pinch which turns starch iodide
of MnO2 and con. paper blue
H2SO4 and heat.
b) Brown fumes which b) Presence of bromide
turns starch iodide paper
yellow
c) Violet fumes which c) Presence of iodide
turns starch paper blue
d) No characteristic d) Absence of chloride,
fumes are observed bromide, iodide
5. Cu turnings test: To a) Red brown fumes a) Presence of nitrate
a pinch of salt, add which turns ferrous
Cu turnings and conc sulphate
H2SO4 and heat. solution black
Pass the fumes into
a FeSO4 solution. b) No characteristic fumes b) Absence of nitrate
6. NaOH Test: To a pinch a) Pungent smelling gas a) Presence of ammonium
of salt, add sodium which fumes with a rod
hydroxide and heat dipped in HCl
b) No pungent smelling gas b) Absence of ammonium
7 Ferric Chloride Test: a) Red colouration which a) Presence of acetate
To a pinch of salt add gives red precipitate
1ml of Ferric chloride on
solution and heat heating
b) No red ppt b) Absence of acetate.
8. Ester Test: To a pinch a) Fruit smelling liquid is a) Presence of acetate
of salt few ml of ethyl obtained
alcohol and con H2SO4
b) No fruit smelling liquid b) Absence of acetate
Preparation of original solution:
A small amount of the salt is dissolved in distilled water and the original solution is prepared.
1. Silver Nitrate Test: a) A curdy white a) Presence of chloride is confirmed
To a few drops of the precipitate, soluble in
excess of Ammonium
original solution, dilute
hydroxide is obtained
Nitric Acid is added b) Pale yellow ppt is b) Presence of bromide is confirmed
obtained
until the
effervescence ceases c) Yellow ppt is obtained c) Presence of iodide is confirmed
and 2 ml of
d) No characteristic ppt d) Absence of chloride, bromide
Silver Nitrate solution
and iodide
is added.
2. Barium Chloride a) White ppt which is a) Presence of sulphate is confirmed
insoluble in con.HCl
Test: To a few drops
of the original
solution, add dil HCl
b) No white ppt b) Absence of sulphate
and barium chloride
solution
3. Lead Acetate Test: a) White ppt soluble in a) Presence of sulphate is confirmed
NaOH and ammonium
To a few drops of
acetate
the original solution,
add dil. acetic acid b) No white ppt b) Absence of sulphate
and lead acetate
solution
4. Brown Ring Test: To a) A brown ring is formed a) Presence of nitrate is confirmed
at the junction of two
a few drops of the
liquids
original solution,
add dil. H2SO4till
the effervescence
ceases and then b) No brown ring is formed b) Absence of nitrate
add freshly
prepared FeSO4
solution con H2SO4
along the sides of
the test tube.
5. To a few drops of a) Canary yellow ppt is a) Presence of phosphate is
obtained confirmed
the original solution,
add a few drops of
con HNO3and boil. b) No canary yellow ppt b) Absence of phosphate
Then add
ammonium
molybdate
7. To a few drops of the a) Thick white ppt is a) Presence of phosphate is
obtained confirmed
original solution, add
dil HCl and heat.
b) No thick white ppt b) Absence of phosphate
Then add Magnesia
mixture
GROUP ANALYSIS
S.NO EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE
1. Zero Group: To a a) Ammoniacal smell. a) Presence of zero group radical
Gives fumes of - Ammonium
few drops of the
ammonium
original solution, chloride
NaOH
Solution is added b) No characteristic fumes b) Absence of zero group radical
and warmed. A glass
rod dipped in dil.
HCl is shown near
the mouth of the
test tube.
2. To a few drops of the a) White precipitate is a) Presence of I group radical – Pb2+
original solution 2 ml obtained
of dilute HCl is
added b) No white precipitate b) Absence of I group radical
3. To a few drops of the a) Black precipitate of a) Presence of II group radical
original solution 2 ml copper sulphide is obtained – Cu2+
of dilute HCl is
added and YAS
(Yellow b) No Black precipitate b) Absence of II group radical
Ammonium Sulphide)
is added
4. To a few drops of the a) Reddish brown a) Presence of III group radical
original solution 1 ml precipitate is obtained – Fe3+
NH4Cl and 2 ml
b) Gelatinous white b) Presence of III group radical
NH4OH solutions are precipitate is obtained – Al3+
added.
c) No characteristic c) Absence of III Group radicals
precipitate
5. To a few drops of the a) Black Precipitate is a) Presence of IV group radical
original solution 1 ml obtained – Ni2+ or Co 2+
NH4Cl , 2 ml NH4OH
b) Buff colour precipitate b) Presence of IV group radical
and YAS Solutions are
is obtained – Mn2+
added.
c) Dirty white Precipitate c) Presence of IV group radical –
is obtained Zn 2+
d) No characteristic d) Absence of IV group radicals
precipitate
6. To a few drops of the a) White Precipitate is a) Presence of V group radical
original solution 1 ml obtained – Ba2+, Ca2+, Sr 2+
NH4Cl, 2 ml NH4OH
and 2 ml (NH4)2CO3 b) No white precipitate b) Absence of V group radicals
solutions are added.
7. To a few drops of the a) White precipitate is a) Presence of VI Group radical
original solution 1 ml obtained – Mg2+
NH4Cl, 2 ml NH4OH
and 2 ml Di Sodium
Hydrogen Phosphate b) No white Precipitate b) Absence of VI group radical
are added
CONFIRMATORY TESTS FOR BASIC RADICALS
S EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE
NO
ZERO GROUP RADICAL - AMMONIUM
1. To the original solution Orange brown precipitate is obtained Presence of zero group
add NaOH solution and radical NH4+is confirmed.
Nessler’s reagent
(Potassium
tetraiodomercurate)
2K2HgI4 + NH3 + 3NaOH
→ HgO.Hg(NH2 )I + 7NaI
+ 2H2O
I GROUP RADICAL - LEAD
1. To the original solution Yellow precipitate of PbI2 which Presence of I Group
add KI Solution dissolved on heating and reappear radical Pb2+ is confirmed
on cooling as golden spangles
Pb2+ + 2KI → PbI2 + 2K +
2. To the original solution Yellow precipitate of PbCrO4 is Presence of I Group
add potassium obtained. radical Pb2+ is confirmed
dichromate
solution.
Pb2+ + K2CrO4 → PbCrO4
+ 2KCl
II GROUP RADICAL - COPPER
1. To the original solution Chocolate brown precipitate is obtained Presence of II Group
add Pottasium radical Cu2+ is confirmed
ferrocyanide K4 [Fe(CN)6 ]
2 Cu2+ + K4 [Fe(CN)6 ] →
Cu2 [Fe(CN)6 ]
2. To the original solution Blue precipitate dissolving to give Presence of II Group
add NH4OH deep blue solution radical Cu2+ is confirmed
Cu2+
+2NH4OH→Cu(OH)2
(NH4)2SO4
III GROUP RADICAL – ALUMINIUM & IRON
1. Confirmation of Al3+ Red lake is obtained. Presence of III Group
To the original solution radical Al3+ is confirmed
add Aluminon reagent.
2. Confirmation of Fe3+ Prussian blue colouration is obtained Presence of III Group
To the original solution radical Fe3+ is confirmed
add 3K4 [Fe(CN)6 ]
4 Fe3+ + 3K4 [Fe(CN)6 ] →
Fe4 [Fe(CN)6 ] 3
IV GROUP RADICAL - NICKEL,COBALT, MANGANESE & ZINC
1. Confirmation of Ni2+ Black ppt is obtained Presence of IV Group
To the original solution radical Ni2+ is confirmed
add NaOH and Bromine
water. 2Ni2+ + 6NaOH +
Br2
→ 2NiOOH
2. Confirmation of Co2+ Blue ppt is obtained Presence of IV Group
To the original solution radical Co2+is confirmed
add NH4OH
3. Confirmation of Mn2+ Buff Coloured Precipitate is obtained Presence of IV Group
To the original solution radical Mn2+is confirmed
and add NH4OH to
make it
alkaline. Pass YAS
through the solution.
4. Confirmation of Zn2+ Bluish white precipitate is obtained Presence of IV Group
To the original solution radical Zn2+is confirmed
add 3K4 [Fe(CN)6 ]
2Zn2++ K4 [Fe(CN)6 ] →
Zn2 [Fe(CN)6 ] 3
V GROUP RADICAL – BARIUM, STRONTIUM, CALCIUM
1. Confirmation of Ba2+ Yellow ppt is obtained Presence of V Group
To the original solution add radical Ba2+is confirmed
a few drops of potassium
chromate solution
2. Confirmation of Sr2+ White ppt is obtained Presence of V Group
To the original solution radical Sr2+is confirmed
add 1 ml of ammonium
sulphate solution and
warm
3. Confirmation of Ca2+ White ppt is obtained Presence of V Group
To the original solution radical Ca2+is confirmed
add ammonium oxalate
solution
VI GROUP RADICAL – MAGNESIUM
1. To the original solution White ppt is obtained which dissolve Presence of VI Group
add aqueous NaOH. in excess of NaOH. radical Mg2+is confirmed
Result:
The given simple salt contains
Acid radical ____________________
Basic radical ___________________________________
So, the given simple salt is ________________________________________________