Abstract

To Study the Mohr's salt

Theory
Mohr's salt or ammonium ferrous sulphate
is the inorganic compound with the formula
(NH4)2Fe(SO4)2.6H2O containing two
different cations Fe2+ and NH4+. It is
classified as a double salt of ferrous
sulphate and ammonium sulphate.

It is a common laboratory reagent. Like the

other ferrous sulphale salts, ferrous
ammonium sulphate dissolves in water to
give the aquo complex which has
octahedral molecular geometry. Mohr's salt
has a molar mass of 392.21 g/mol and it
appears as a blue green solid

Preparation
Mohr's salt is prepared by dissolving an
equimolar mixture of hydrated ferrous
sulphate and ammonium sulphate in water;
containing a little of sulphuric acid and the
crystallization from the solution. On
crystallization light green crystals of ferrous
ammonium; sulphate separate out.

Ferrous sulphate FeSO4.7H2O

Ammonium sulphate (NH4)2 SO4 \

Mohr's Salt FeSO4-(NH4)2SO4.6HO

Materials required:
Apparatus:

Two beakers, china dish, funnel, funnel

stand, glass rod, wash bottle, tripode stand,
wire gauze, ferrous sulphate crystals,
ammonium sulphate crystals, dilute
sulphate crystals, dilute sulphuric acid, and
ethyl alcohol.
Chemicals:
Before coating, steel sheet or rod is passed
through sulphuric acid. This treatment
produces large quantities of ferrous iron(II)
sulphate as a by product. A little more
sulphuric acid may be added to ensure that
the final solution remains slightly acidic.
Since ammonia solution is moderately
alkaline, the change from excess sulphuric
acid to excess ammonia may be detected
either with an indicator eg:- litmus paper,
or by measuring the pH of the mixture with
a pH meter

Preparation of Standard Solution of

Mohr's Salt
100ml of the decinormal solution of Mohr's
salt is prepared by weighing accurately
accrual 3.92of A.R. quality crystals,
dissolving in water to which 40ml of dilute
sulphuric acid had been added (to prevent
hydrolysis) and making up the solution in a
standard measuring flask. The solution is
well shaken. Experimentally, it has been
found that the mass of Mohr's salt prepared
is 8.19

Procedure

1. Take a clean 250ml beaker, transfer 7g

FeSO4 and 3.5g (NH4)2SO4 crystals to it.
Add 2.3 ml dilute H2SO4 (to prevent
hydrolysis)

2. In another beaker boil 20 ml H2O for 5

minutes (to expand air)

3. Add boiling hot H2O to the content in

small quantities. Stir until salts have
completely dissolved.

4. Filter it and heat the filtrate in a china

dish till it concentrate to crystallization
point
5. Place the china dish over the beaker full
of cold H20,cool it and collect the crystals.

Observations
Weight=18.6g
Colour =pale green

Result
In analytical chemistry, this salt is preferred
over other salts of ferrous sulphate for
titration purposes as it is much less prove to
oxidation by air to ferric or iron (III). The
oxidations of solutions of ferrous iron(II) is
very much dependent occurring much more
readily at high temperature and pH . The
ammonium ions make solutions of Mohr's
salt slightly acidic, which slows this
oxidation process. It is also used to print in
print edition coating in order to extend the
life of the word version. Also it had been
used in medicine, electroplating and so on

Health Hazards
• Inhalation

Causes irritation to the respiratory tract

symptoms may include coughing, shortness
of breath
• Ingestion

Causes irritation to the gastrointestinal

tract. Symptoms may include nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea. Low toxicity in small
quantities but larger dosages may cause
nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and black stool.
Pink urine discoloration is a strong indicator
of iron poisoning. Liver damage, coma and
death from iron poisoning has been
recorded.

• Skin contact

Causes irritation to skin. Symptoms include

redness itching and pain
• Eve contact

Causes irritation, redness and pain

Conclusion
Mohr's salt is named after the German
chemist, Karl Freidrich Mohr, who made
many important advances in the
methodology of titration in the 19th
century. It is a double salt. A double salt is a
substance obtained by the combination of
two, different salts which crystallizes
together as a single substance but ionize as
two distinct salts when dissolved in water.
 Bibliography
• Practical chemistry, B.Sc Main By A.Q.
Thomas
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