SALT ANALYSIS

SL NO. EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

PRILIMINARY TEST

A. Physical Examination Of Salt

01. Note the colour of the salt. Colourless Shows the absence of Cu-, Ni-, Fe-, Fe-, Mn-,
Co-, etc.

02. Note the odor of the salt. (i) Ammoniacal smell NH4- may be present.
(ii) Vinegar like smell CH3COO- may be present

03. Solubility
(i) In dil. HCl Soluble Pb-is absent
(ii) In H2O Soluble NH4-, CH3COO- may be present

04. Flame Test: - Make a paste of the salt given in a drop (i) Dull-Bluish white Pb- may be present
of concentrate HCl on a clean watch glass. Dip a glass (ii) Green flashes Zn- or Mn- may be present
rod in this paste and heat. Note down the colour (iii) Apple Green Ba- may be present
imparted by the flame. (iv) Brick Red Ca- may be present
(v) Crimson Red Sr- may be present

ACID RADICALS (Anions)

B. Identification Test Of Acid Radicals (Anions)

01. Dil. H2SO4 Test: - Take a small quantity of salt in a (i) A colourless odorless gas with brisk effervesces which CO3- may be present
test tube. Add 1-2 ml of dil. H2SO4. Observe in cold turns limewater milky.
and then gently warm. Note the gas evolved.
Eq: CO3-+ H2SO4 CO2 + SO4-+ H2O
(ii) Vinegar like smell evolved. CH3COO- may be present
Eq: 2CH3COO-+ H2SO4 2CH3COOH+ SO4-
02. Conc. H2SO4 Test: - Take a small quantity of salt (i) Colourless gas (HCl) with pungent smell, white Cl- may be present
with con. H2SO4 (2-3 ml) in a test tube. Identify the fumes with aq. NH4OH.
gas evolved in cold and then on heating.
Eq: Cl-+ H2SO4 HSO4+HCl
Eq: HCl+ NH4OH NH4Cl+ H2O
(ii) Reddish brown gas (NO2) with pungent smell, turns NO3- may be present
FeSO4 solution black
Eq: NO3-+ H2SO4 HSO4-+ HNO3
Eq: 4HNO3 4NO2+ O2++ 2H20
(iii) Colourless vapors, vinegar smell, turn blue litmus CH3COO- may be present
red.
Eq: CH3COO-+ H2SO4 HSO4-+ CH3COOH
(iv) A colourless gas, which turns limewater milky, and a C2O4- may be present
gas, which burns with pale-bluish flame.
Eq: C2O4-+ H2SO4 CO+ CO2+ H2O+ SO4-
(v) No gas is evolved. Absence of Cl-, NO3-, C2O4-, etc.

03. KMnO4 Test: - To a pinch of salt in the test tube add KMnO4 decolorized
about 2 ml of dil. H2SO4. Boil off any gas evolved. In cold:
Add little more dil. H2SO4 and then KMnO4 solution (i) With evolution of greenish gas. Cl- may be present
drop wise. Note the changes. (ii) With evolution of reddish gas. Br- may be present
(iii) With evolution of violet gas. l- may be present

On Warming:
(i) With evolution of CO2 C2O4- may be present

KMnO4 is not decolorized Absence of Cl-, Br-, l-, C2O4-

C. Identification Test Of Independent Radicals (SO4- and PO4-)

01. To the salt solution add Bacl2 White Precipitate. SO4- may be present
 Eq: SO4- + BaCl2 BaSO4 + 2Cl-
02. To the above precipitate add dilute HCl White precipitate in unchanged. SO4- may be present

D. Confirmatory Test For Anions

01. Carbonate (CO3-)

(i) Add MgSo4 solution to the salt solution. White precipitate CO3- is confirmed
(ii) To a part of the salt solution add a few drops of It turns pink colour CO3- is confirmed
phenolphthalein.

02. Acetate (CH3COO-)

(i) Ester Test: Take a pinch of salt in a test tube. Fruity smell. CH3COO- is confirmed.
Add 1ml of concentrate H2SO4 and 4-5 drops of
rectified spirit. Heat it and smell it.
Eq: CH3COO- + C2H5OH- CH3COOC2H5 + OH-(Ester ,Fruity smell)
(ii) Neutral Ferric Chloride Test: to the salt solution, Deep red colour is produced CH3COO- is confirmed.
add a few drops of neutral ferric chloride solution. Eq: 3CH3COO- + FeCl3 Fe(CH3COO)3 + 3Cl-
Filter it.

03. Chloride (Cl-)

(i) AgNO3 Test: To a portion of the aqueous Curdy white precipitate soluble in NH4OH. Cl- is confirmed.
solution of the salt, add dilute HNO3 solution. -
Eq: Cl + AgNO3 AgCl + NO3-
(ii) MnO2 Test: Heat a pinch of the solid salt with Greenish yellow gas evolved. Cl- is confirmed.
MnO2 and concentrate H2SO4
Eq: Cl- + H2SO4 HCl + HSO4
Eq: MnO2 + 4HCl MnCl2 + 2H2O + Cl2
04. Nitrate (NO3-)
(i) Paper Ball Test: Take a pinch of the salt. Add 1-2 Intense brown fumes NO3- confirmed.
ml of H2SO4. Add a piece of paper ball and heat.
Eq: 2NO3- + H2SO4 2HNO3+ SO42-
Eq: C + 4HNO3 CO2 + 4NO2(Brown Fumes) + 2H2O
(ii) Brown Ring Test: To the salt solution add, Brown ring formed at the junction of two solution. NO3- confirmed.
freshly prepared FeSO4 solution. Then add
concentrate H2SO4 along the side of test tube drop
wise.

05. Oxalates (C2O42-)

 (i) Calcium Chloride Test: To the salt solution add White Precipitate C2O42- confirmed.
dilute CH3COOH and add CaCl2 solution.
Eq: COO- + CaCl2 CaC2O4 + 2Cl

COO-
Eq: CaC2O4 + H2SO4 COOH + CaSO4 (White Precipitate)

COOH
(ii) KMnO4 Test: Dissolve the above white Pink colour discharged with a steady effervescence. C2O42- confirmed.
precipitate in dilute H2SO4 and add 1 ml of KMnO4
solution. Eq: 2MnO4- + 5COO- + 16H+ 2Mn2+ + 10CO3 + 8H2O

COO-
06. Sulphates (SO42-)
(i) Lead Acetate Test: To a portion of the salt White precipitate soluble in excess of Ammonium SO42- confirmed.
solution, add CH3COOH. Boil off CO2, cool it. Add Acetate.
Pb(CH3COOH)2 solution.
(ii) BaCl2 Test: To the salt solution, add few drops of White precipitate insoluble in dilute HCl. SO42- confirmed.
dilute HCl and then BaCl2 solution.

BASIC RADICALS (Cations)

E. Identification Test Of Basic Radicals (Cations)

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F. Confirmatory Test Of Cations
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