Chapter 8 : Salts

Flow chart of preparation of salts

Precipitation of salt by double Example :
Soluble in water decomposition reaction PbI2, PbCl2, PbSO4,
No
BaSO4, AgCl, CaSO4
Yes

Salts of K+, Na+, NH4+?

No

Yes

Neutralisation Acid + metal oxide  salt + water

Acid + alkali  salt + water Acid + metal  salt + hydrogen gas
Acid + metal carbonate  salt + water + carbon dioxide
Example : KNO3, NaCl, (NH4)2SO4
Example : ZnCl2, CuSO4, Pb(NO3)2, Mg(NO3)2

Colour of some cation/ anion/ substance in solid and aqueous solution

Salt/metal oxide Colour

Solid Aqueous solution
Potassium salts, sodium salts, calcium salts,
magnesium salts, aluminium salts, zinc salts, White Colourless
lead(II) salts, ammonium salts, barium salts,
silver salts (If the anion is colourless)
Nitrate salts (NO3-), chloride salts (Cl-),
carbonate salts (CO32-),sulphate salts (SO42-) White Colourless
(If the cation is colourless)
Copper(II) salts :
Copper(II) carbonate Green Insoluble
Copper(II) sulphate, Copper(II) nitrate, Blue Blue
Copper(II) chloride
Copper(II) oxide Black Insoluble
Iron(II) salts :
Iron(II) sulphate, Iron(II) nitrate, Iron(II) Green Pale green
chloride
Iron(III) salts : Yellow, yellowish-
Iron(III) sulphate, Iron(III) nitrate, Iron(III) Brown brown, brown
chloride (depends on the
concentration )
Zinc oxide Yellow when hot ; Insoluble
White when cold
Lead(II) oxide Brown when hot ; Insoluble
Yellow when cold
Solubility in water

Salts Solubility in water

Sodium salts
Potassium salts All soluble
Ammonium salts
Nitrate salts All soluble
Chloride salts All soluble except :
Lead(II) chloride, PbCl2 (soluble in hot
water but insoluble in cold water)
Silver chloride, AgCl
Sulphate salts All soluble except :
Lead(II) sulphate, PbSO4
Barium sulphate, BaSO4
Calcium sulphate, CaSO4
Carbonate salts All insoluble except :
Sodium carbonate, Na2CO3
Potassium carbonate, K2CO3
Ammonium carbonate, (NH4)2CO3
Metal oxides All insoluble except :
Sodium oxide, Na2O
Potassium oxide, K2O
Calcium oxide, CaO (slightly soluble)
Metal hydroxides All insoluble except :
Sodium hydroxide, NaOH
Potassium hydroxide, KOH
Calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2 and
barium hydroxide, Ba(OH)2 (slightly
soluble)

Action of heat on carbonate salts

1. All carbonate salts decompose when heated except sodium carbonate and
potassium carbonate.
2. Decomposition of carbonate salts on heating produce carbon dioxide gas.
Carbonate salts Action of heat
Sodium carbonate Not decompose by heat
Potassium carbonate
Decompose on heating to produce carbon dioxide gas and
metal oxide. Example :
Calcium carbonate CaCO3 (S)  CaO (S) + CO2 (g)
Magnesium carbonate MgCO3 (S)  MgO (S) + CO2 (g)
Aluminium carbonate Al2(CO3)3 (S)  Al2O3 (S) + 3CO2 (g)
Zinc carbonate ZnCO3 (S)  ZnO (S) + CO2 (g)
Lead(II) carbonate PbCO3 (S)  PbO (S) + CO2 (g)
Copper(II) carbonate CuCO3 (S)  CuO (S) + CO2 (g)
Action of heat on nitrate salts
1. All nitrate salts decompose when heated.
Nitrate salts Action of heat
Decompose on heating to produce oxygen gas and metal nitrite.
Example :
Sodium nitrate 2NaNO3 (S)  2NaNO2 (S) + O2 (g)
Potassium nitrate 2KNO3 (S)  2KNO2 (S) + O2 (g)
Decompose on heating to produce oxygen gas, nitrogen dioxide
gas and metal oxide. Example :
Calcium nitrate 2Ca(NO3)2 (S)  2CaO (S) + 4NO2 (g) + O2 (g)
Magnesium nitrate 2Mg(NO3)2 (S)  2MgO (S) + 4NO2 (g) + O2 (g)
Aluminium nitrate 4Al(NO3)3 (S)  2Al2O3 (S) + 12NO2 (g) + 3O2 (g)
Zinc nitrate 2Zn(NO3)2 (S)  2ZnO (S) + 4NO2 (g) + O2 (g)
Lead(II) nitrate 2Pb(NO3)2 (S)  2PbO (S) + 4NO2 (g) + O2 (g)
Copper(II) nitrate 2Cu(NO3)2 (S)  2CuO (S) + 4NO2 (g) + O2 (g)

Action of heat on sulphate salts

1. Usually sulphate salts are not decomposed by heat.
2. Only a few sulphate salts decompose when heated strongly.
Carbonate salts Action of heat
Decompose on heating to produce water vapour, sulphur
dioxide, sulphur trioxide and iron(III) oxide.
Iron(II) sulphate 2FeSO4 . 7H2O  Fe2O3 (S) + SO2 (g) + SO3 (g) + 3H2O (l)
Decompose on heating to produce sulphur trioxide gas and
metal oxide. Example :
Zinc sulphate 2ZnSO4 (S)  ZnO (S) + SO3 (g)
Copper(II) sulphate 2CuSO4 (S)  CuO (S) + SO3 (g)
Iron(III) sulphate Fe2(SO4)3 (S)  Fe2O3 (S) + SO3 (g)
Sublimes and decomposes to produce ammonia gas and fumes
of sulphuric acid.
Ammonium sulphate (NH4)2 SO4 (S)  2NH3 (g) + H2SO4 (g)

Action of heat on chloride salts

1. All chloride salts are not decomposed by heat except ammonium chloride.
2. Sublimes and decomposes to produce white fumes containing ammonia gas and
hydrogen chloride gas.
NH4Cl (S)  NH3 (g) + HCl (g)

Physical and chemical properties of gas and test for various gases.

Gas Physical properties Chemical Test

properties
Colour Smell
Oxygen gas - - Neutral Rekindles a glowing splinter.
Hydrogen - - Neutral Gives ‘pop’ sound when
gas burning splinter is introduced.
Carbon - - Acidic Turn limewater milky.
dioxide gas
Ammonia - Pungent Alkali White fumes with glass rod
gas dipped in concentrated
hydrochloric acid, HCl.
 Gas Physical properties Chemical Test
properties
Colour Smell
Nitrogen Brown Pungent Acidic Turn damp litmus paper from
dioxide gas blue to red.
Chlorine gas Greenish Pungent Acidic Turn damp litmus paper from
yellow blue to red, then bleached.
Hydrogen Colourless Pungent Acidic Fumes with glass rod dipped in
chloride gas concentrated ammonia, NH3
solution.
Sulphur Colourless Pungent Acidic  Turn acidified Potassium
dioxide gas manganate(VII) solution,
KMnO4 from purple to
colourless.
 Turn acidified potassium
dichromate (VI), K2Cr2O7
solution from orange to
green.
Hydrogen Colourless Pungent Acidic Damp lead(II) ethanoate paper
sulphide gas (rotten egg) turns black.
Water vapour Colourless Odourless Neutral White anhydrous copper(II)
sulphate turns blue.

To identify cations by using aqueous sodium hydroxide.

Cation + Aqueous sodium hydroxide, NaOH

No change Form precipitate

NH4+

White Coloured
precipitate precipitate
Pb2+,Zn2+,Al3+, Fe2+,Fe3+,Cu2+
Ca2+,Mg2+

Dissolves in excess Insoluble in excess Green Brown Blue

precipitate precipitate precipitate
Pb2+,Zn2+,Al3+ Ca2+,Mg2+
Fe2+ Fe3+ Cu2+
To identify cations by using aqueous ammonia.

Cation + Ammonia aqueous, NH4OH

No change Form precipitate

NH4+, Ca2+

White Coloured
precipitate precipitate
Pb2+,Zn2+,Al3+, Fe2+,Fe3+,Cu2+
Mg2+

Dissolves in excess Insoluble in excess Green Brown Blue

precipitate precipitate precipitate,
Zn2+ Pb2+,Mg2+,Al3+ dissolves in
Fe2+ Fe3+
excess
Cu2+

Confirmatory tests for iron(II) ion and iron(III) ion

Cation Potassium Potassium Potassium Potassium

hexacyanoferrate(II) hexacyanoferrate(III thiocyanate manganate(VII)
solution,K4Fe(CN)6 ) solution,K3Fe(CN)6 solution,KSCN solution,
KMNO4
Fe2+ Pale blue precipitate Dark blue precipitate Pale red Decolourises
colouration the purple
solution
Fe3+ Dark blue precipitate Greenish-brown Blood red
solution colouration
Identification of cations by reaction with Nessler’s reagent, solution of chloride ions, solution of sulphate ions, solution of carbonate ions and
potassium iodide solution.

Cation Nessler’s Dilute HCl or NaCl solution Dilute H2SO4 or Na2SO4 Na2CO3 solution Potassium iodide solution
reagent solution
Na+ - - - -
Ca2+ - - White precipitate formed. White precipitate formed. -
Ca2+(aq) + SO42-(aq)  CaSO4(s) Ca2+(aq) + CO32-(aq)  CaCO3(s)
Mg2+ - - - White precipitate formed. -
Mg2+(aq) + CO32-(aq)  MgCO3(s)
Al3+ - - - White precipitate formed. -
Al3+(aq) + CO32-(aq)  Al2(CO3)3(s)
Zn2+ - - - White precipitate formed. -
Zn (aq) + CO32-(aq)  ZnCO3(s)
2+

Pb2+ - White precipitate formed.
Pb2+(aq) + Cl-(aq)  PbCl2(s)
Soluble in hot water
Fe2+ - -
White precipitate formed. White precipitate formed.
Pb2+(aq) + SO42 (aq)  PbSO4(s) Pb2+(aq) + CO32-(aq)  PbCO3(s)
- Green precipitate formed.
Fe (aq) + CO32-(aq)  FeCO3(s)
2+
Yellow precipitate formed.
Pb2+(aq) + I-(aq)  PbI2(s)
Soluble in hot water
-

Fe3+ - - - Brown precipitate formed. Reddish-brown solution.

Fe3+(aq) + CO32-(aq)  Fe2(CO3)3(s) 2Fe3+(aq) + 2I-(aq)  2Fe2+(aq)
+ I2(aq)

Cu2+ - - - Blue precipitate formed. White precipitation in brown

Cu (aq) + CO32-(aq)  CuCO3(s)
2+
solution.
2Cu2+(aq) + 4I-(aq)  2CuI(s)
+ I2(aq)
NH4+ Brown - - - -
precipitate
Tests for anions

Anion Dilute acid Dilute HCl followed by BaCl2 Dilute HNO3 + AgNO3 solution, Dilute H2SO4 + FeSO4 solution +
solution (or dilute HNO3 then add NH3 solution concentrated H2SO4
followed by Ba(NO3)2 solution)
CO32- Effervescence.
Colourless gas turns lime water - - -
milky.
CO32-(aq) + 2H+  CO2(g) + H2O(l)
Cl- - - White precipitate is formed. -
Ag+(aq) + Cl-(aq)  AgCl(s)
SO42- - White precipitate is formed. - -
Ba2+(aq) + SO42-(aq)  BaSO4(s)
NO3- - - - Brown ring is formed.