SCHEME OF SALT ANALYSIS

EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE CHEMICAL REACTIONS

PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENTS
2+
Blue Presence of Cu
2+
Green presence of Ni
2+
Note the colour of the salt Pink Presence of Co

Absence of Cu2+, Ni2+

No characteristic colour 2+
Co etc.

Brown gas May be NO3- Due to evolution of NO2 gas

Asmall amount of the salt
is heated in a dry test tube Colorless odourless gas My be CO32- Due to evolution of CO2 gas
Pungent smell May be NH4+ Due to evolution of NH3 gas
Flame Test
A small amount of the salt Green flame May be Ba2+
is made into a paste with 2+
Brick red flame May be Ca
small amount of Con.HCl .
A little of this paste is crimson flame May be Sr2+
introduced to the non-luminous Absenc eof Ba2+, Ca2+
part of a bunsen flame No characteristic flame
& Sr2+
Ash Test : A small amount of the salt is
mixed with iml of cobalt nitrate and a few
drops of con.HNO3 . Heat the mixture and Pink ash Presence of Mg2+
dip a strip of fiter paper and bur the paper Green ash Presence of Zn2+
to ash . Note the colour of the ash . Blue ash 3+
Presence of Al
TEST FOR ANIONS
Test with dil.H2SO4
A small amount of the salt is
treated with 1 ml dil.H2SO4
Test with con.H2SO4
A small amount of the salt is
heated with 2 ml of con.H2SO4
Test with Barium chloride
To about 1 ml of the salt solution
add a few drops of BaCl2 solution
Test with Ammoniummolybdate
About I ml of the salt solution
is boiled with 0.5 g of solid
ammonium molybdate and
1 ml con.HNO3
Brisk effervescence of a
colourless odouless gas
turning lime water milky
Smell of rotten eggs
Smell of viniger
Colorless pungent smelling
gas which gives dense
white fumes on a glass rod
dipped in NH4OH
Reddish brown gas with
pungent smell.
Violet vapours
Brown gas which intensifies
on addition of paper balls .
White ppt insoluble in con.HCl
Canary yellow ppt
2- CO2 gas is evolved which gives
Presence of CO3
a ppt with lime water.
2-
H2S gas is evolved
Presence of S
-
Presence of CH3COO Acetic acid is formed
The pungent smelling gas is HCl
Presence of Cl- which gives fumes of NH4Cl
with NH4OH
Brown coloured Br2 vapours
Presence of Br-
are formed
- The violet coloured I2 vapours
Presence of I
are formed
Presence of NO3- The brown gas is NO2
Presence of SO42- The white ppt is due to BaSO4
The yellow ppt is due to
Presence of PO43- formation of ammonium
phospho molybdate .
CONFIRMATORY TESTS FOR ANIONS
CARBONATE
To about 1ml of salt solution
White ppt CO32- is confirmed The white ppt is MgCO3
add 1ml MgSO4 solution

SULPHIDE
To 1ml of salt solution add a few
The violet colour is due to the
drops of Sodium nitro prusside Violet colouration S2- is confirmed.
formation of a complex.
solution.
ACETATE
To 1 ml of salt solution add afew The blood red colour is due to
drops of neutral FeCl3 solution.
Blood red colouration CH3COO- is confirmed
formation of (CH3COO)3Fe

CHLORIDE /BROMIDE /IODIDE

White ppt is AgCl which is
White curdy ppt soluble in
Cl- is confirmed soluble in NH4OH due to
NH4OH
the formation of a complex.
Pale Yellow ppt which is
Br- is confirmed Pale yellow ppt is AgBr
sparingly soluble in NH4OH
To about 1 ml of salt solution
add a few drops of dil. HNO3
and 1ml of AgNO3 solution.
Yellow ppt which is insoluble -
I is confirmed Yellow ppt is AgI
in NH4OH

NITRATE
Brown ring test
To about 1 ml of salt solution
add equal amount of freshly
A brown ring is formed at the The brown ring is due to the
prepared FeSO4 solution . Now
junction of the two liquid NO3- is confirmed. formation of the complex
add about 1ml of con. H2SO4
layers [Fe(H2O)5 NO ]2+
along the sides of the test tube
without shaking .
OXALATE
To about 1ml of the salt solution
The KMnO4 solution gets this is due to reduction of
add 4-5 drops of con.H2SO4 and 2-
C2O4 is confirmed . - 2+
2 drops of dil. KMnO4 decolourised MnO4 to colouless Mn

SULPHATE
To about 1 ml of salt solution white ppt which is insoluble
The white ppt is due to the
add about 1ml lead acetate in ammonium acetate SO4 2- is confirmed
formation of lead sulphate
solution . solution

PHOSPHATE
Magnesia mixture Test
Preparation of Magnesia mixture
To about 1 ml of MgCl2 solution White ppt is formed PO43- is confirmed . The white ppt is Mg(NH4)PO4
add a little amount os NH4Cl .
Boil, cool and add NH4OH solution till a
strong smell of NH3 comes .
To 1ml of salt solution add a few
drops of Magnesia mixture.

TESTS FOR CATIONS

Analysis of zero group(NH4+) Group

reagent NaOH
 Ammonium salts liberate NH3
A little of the salt solution is
Smell of NH3 gas giving dense white fumes gas with NaOH . Nh3 gas gives
shaken vigourously with 1 ml NH4+ may be present
on a glass rod dipped in con.HCl white fumes of NH4Cl with
of NaOH solution
con.HCl
Analysis of I group (Pb2+)
Grop Reagent- Dil.HCl
To a little of the salt solution 2+ The white ppt is due to the
White ppt Pb may be present
add 1ml of dil. HCl formation of PbCl2
2+
Analysis of II group (Cu )
Grroup reagent -Dil.HCl & Na2S
To a little amount of salt
solution add 1ml of dil HCl and 1ml of Na2S Black ppt Presence of Cu2+ The black ppt is Cu2S
solution .

Analysis of III group (Al3+ , Fe3+)

Group Reagent -solid NH4Cl& NH4OH

To a little of the salt solution White gelatinous ppt Presence of Al3+ The white ppt is Al(OH)3
add a pinch of solid NH4Cl and
Reddish brown ppt Presence of Fe3+ The brown ppt is Fe(OH)3
excess of NH4OH solution
2+ 2+
Analysis of IV group (Mn , Zn
2+ 2+
Co , Ni )
Group Reagent -solid NH4Cl, NH4OH &
Na2S
The white ppt is due to the
White ppt Presence of Zn2+
formation of ZnS
To a little of the salt solution
add a pinch of solid NH4Cl and excess of
Flesh coloured ppt Presence of Mn2+ The flesh coloured ppt is MnS
NH4OH solution,and then add 1ml of Na2S
solution
The black ppt may be either NiS
Black ppt Presence of Co2+or Ni2+
or CoS
 2+ 2+
Analysis of V group (Ba , Ca
2+
Sr )
Group Reagent -NH4Cl , NH4OH
and (NH4)2CO3
To a little of the salt solution
add few drops of NH4Cl and 2+ 2+ The white ppt is due to the
Presence of Ba , Ca
NH4OHsolutions and then 1ml White ppt 2+
formation of BaCO3, CaCO3
or Sr or SrCO3
of (NH4)2CO3 solution

2+
Analysis of VI group (Mg )
To alittle of the salt solution add
a few drops of solutions of
The white ppt is magnesium
NH4Cl and then 1ml of Disodium 2+
White crystalline ppt Presence of Mg ammonium phosphate
hydrogen sulphate solution . Then scratch
Mg(NH4) PO4 . 6H2O
the sides of the test tube

CONFIRMATORY TEST FOR CATIONS

C.T FOR NH4+

To a little of the salt solution The brown ppt is due to the

add afew drops of Neslers A brown ppt is formed NH4+ is confirmed. formation of a complex compound
Reaegnt H2NHgOHgI

C.T for Pb2+

To about 1ml of the salt solution add a few Yellow ppt Pb2+ is confirmed The yellow ppt is Lead chromate
drops of Potassium Chromate solution .
C.T for Cu2+
To alittle of the salt solution
add NH4OH solution in drops to
excess
3+
C. T for Al
To about 1ml of salt solution add
2 drops of blue litmus followed
by NH4OH till it smells of NH3
3+
C.T for Fe
To about 1ml of salt solution add
a few drops of potassium
ferrocyanide solution
C.T for Zn2+
To 1 ml of salt solution add
naOH solution in drops to excess
C.T for Mn2+
To about 1ml of salt solution add
a few drops of NaOH solution .
2+
C.T for Co
A blue ppt which dissolves
in excess of NH4OH
Blue ppt floating in
colourless solution
Blue ppt
White ppt which dissolves in
excess of NaOH solution
White ppt which turns brown.
The deep blue colour is due to
2+
Cu is confirmed . the formation of complex
2+
[Cu(NH3)4]
The ppt of Al(OH)3 formed
3+
Al is confirmed adsorbs blue litmus and appears
blue
The blue ppt is due to the
3+
Fe is confirmed . formation of a complex
compound Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3
The white ppt is Zn(OH)2 which
2+
Zn is confirmed dissolves in NaOH solution
due to a complex formation.
The white ppt is Mn(OH)2 which
Mn2+ is confirmed.
gets oxidised to form MnO(OH)2
To 1 ml of salt solution add 1ml
Amyl alcohol and a pinch of solid The blue colour is due to a
Blue coloured alcohol layer. Co2+ is confirmed.
ammonium thiocyanate . Shake complex [Co(SCN)4]2-.
well.

2+
C.T for Ni
To 1ml of salt solution add a few
2+ The rose red ppt is complex
drops of Dimethyl glyoxime Rose red ppt Ni is confirmed.
compound of Ni with DMG .
reagent and NH4OH
2+
C.T for Ba
To a little of the salt solution
add a few drops of Potassium Yellow ppt Ba2+ is confirmed. The yellow ppt is BaCrO4
chromate solution.
C.T for Sr2+
To a little of the salt solution
2+
add excess of Ammonium White crystalline ppt Sr is confirmed. The white ppt is SrSO4 .
sulphate solution.
C.T for Ca2+

To alittle of the salt solution add a few

White crystalline ppt . Ca2+ is confirmed. The white ppt is CaC2O4 .
drops of ammonium oxalate solution.

C.T for Mg2+

Ash test
A little of the salt solution is mixed with
1ml of cobalt nitrate solution and a few
drops of Con.HNO3 .Dip a filter paper into
this solution and the paper is burnt to ash.
Pink ash is obtained. Mg2+ is confirmed.