CHEMISTRY

INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT
DETECTING METALS PRESENT

IN INDIAN COINS

PREPARED BY:- GAURAV BHADULA

CLASS :- XII-A

ROLL NO.:- 8
 INDEX

S. NO. TOPIC
1. CERTIFICATE
2. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
3. AIM & INTRODUCTION
4. THEORY
5. APPARATUS REQUIRED
6. CHEMICALS REQUIRED
7. PROCEDURE & OBSERVATION
8. CONCLUSION
9. PRECAUTIONS
10. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 CERTIFICATE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT MST. GAURAV
BHADULA OF CLASS XII, SECTION- A HAS
COMPLETED THE CHEMISTRY PROJECT
ENTITLED: -

“DETECTING METALS PRESENT IN INDIAN COINS”

UNDER MY GUIDANCE AND TO MY SATISFACTION.

Mrs. ROHINI VYAVHARE

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I take this opportunity to thank Mrs. ROHINI

VYAVHARE MA’AM for her constant support and

guidance without which this project would not have

been possible.

I would also like to thank Mr. HARDEV (the lab

attendant) for the help they rendered throughout the

PROJECT.
AIM:-

TO DETECT THE
METALS
PRESENT IN
INDIAN COINS.
 INTRODUCTION

A Coin is a piece of hard metal that is

standardized in weight, produced in large
quantities in order to facilitate trade. A coin is
a small, flat, round piece of hard metal used
primarily as a medium of exchange. They are
standardized in weight, and produced in large
quantities in order to facilitate trade. They are
most often issued by a government. Coins that
are intended for circulation have some special
requirements based on the conditions they will
encounter. For example, a coin maybe in
circulation for up to thirty years, and so, must
have excellent wear resistance and anti-
corrosive properties. Achieving this goal
necessitates the use of base metal alloys, to make
coins.
 THEORY
An alloy is a homogenous mixture of two or more
metals and a non-metal. An alloy is a mixture
of metals or a mixture of a metal and
another element. Alloys are defined by metallic
bonding character. An alloy may be a solid solution of
metal elements or a mixture of metallic
phases. Intermetallic compounds are alloys with a
defined stoichiometry and crystal structure. It is
prepared to suit the requirements which the
constituent metals cannot fulfil if not mixed the
other ones. We can determine the constituents of an
unknown alloy by dissolving it in an Aqua Regia,
then performing the usual qualitative analysis on
the solution. Examples of alloys are phosphor
bronze and amalgams, steel, solder, brass.
 APPARATUS REQIRED
1. test tube 2. beaker

3. test tube 4. tripod stand

holder

5. burner 6. sand paper

 CHEMICALS
REQUIRED

1.Hydrochloric acid (Hcl)

2.Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)
3.Hydrogen Sulphide Gas
4.Nitric Acid (HNO3 )
5.Ammonium Acetate
6.Potassium Iodide
7.Potssium Chromate
8.Potassium Ferrocyanide
9.Ammonium Hydroxide
10.Ammonium Chloride
11.Potassium sulphocyanide
12.Potassium Nitrite
13.Nessler’s reagent
14.Ammonium Phosphate
 PROCEDURE
&
OBSERVATION
1. Preparation of Aqua Regia:
• Take a clean beaker and add 3 test tubes
of concentrated HCl to it.
• To this add one test tube of concentrated
HNO 3 , and stir.

2. Take five beakers put equal amounts of Aqua

Regia in them.

3. Clean the coins using a sand paper and put

them in the beakers and let them remain
there for three days.

4. After the coins are dissolved, add half beaker

of water in each, and detect the presence of
the basic radicals present in each coin one by
one.
TEST FOR CATION (NH4+):

Preliminary:
Original Solution + NaOH Heat fumes with characteristics
smell of ammonia.

Confirmatory:

2K 2 [Hgl 4 ] + NH 3 H 2 N.Hg0.HgI + 7KI +2H 2 0

(Nessler’s reagent) (Brown ppt.)

OBSERVATION:

COINS NaOH Test Nessler’s Reagent

₹1 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE
₹2 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE
₹5 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE
₹10 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE

INFERENCE:
None of the Coins contain NH 4 + ion.
TEST FOR CATION (Pb+) :

Preliminary:
Original Solution + dil. HCl white ppt.
Pb2+ + 2HCl (aq.) PbCl 2 (white ppt.) + H+

Confirmatory:
White ppt. + Kl Yellow ppt.
PbCl 2 + 2Kl Pbl 2 + 2KCl

OBSERVATION:
COINS Dil. HCl Test Potassium Iodide
Test
₹1 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE
₹2 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE
₹5 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE
₹10 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE

INFERENCE:
None of the Coins contain Pb2+.
TEST FOR CATION (Cu2+) :

Preliminary:
Original Solution + dil. HCl + H 2 S black ppt.

Confirmatory:
Take the original solution and add ammonium hydroxide in
excess.
Cu2+ (aq.) + NH 4 OH {Cu(NH 3 ) 4 }2+
(Deep Blue solution)

Potassium Ferrocyanide + Original sol. Chocolate

brown ppt.
Cu2+ (aq.) + K 4 {Fe(CN) 6 } Cu 2 {Fe(CN) 6 }4K+

OBSERVATION:
COINS NH 4 OH Test Potassium Ferrocyanide
Test
₹1 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE
₹2 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE
₹5 BLUE SOLUTION CHOCOLATE BROWN
PPT.
₹10 BLUE SOLUTION CHOCOLATE BROWN
PPT.

INFERENCE:
5 Coin contains Cu2+.

10 Coin contains Cu2+.

TEST FOR CATION (Fe3+) :

Preliminary:
Original Solution + NH 4 Cl + NH 4 OH (Reddish brown
ppt.)
Fe3+ + 3NH 4 OH Fe(OH) 3 ↓ + 3NH 4 +
Confirmatory:
1. Brown ppt. Is dissolved in HCl (aq.)
Fe(OH) 3 + HCl (aq.) FeCl 3 + H 2 O

2. To the above solutions add Pot. Ferrocyanide sol.

Prussian blue colouration is obtained.
4FeCl 3 + 3 K 4 [Fe(CN) 6 ] 12KCl + Fe 4 {Fe(CN) 6 } 3

OBSERVATION:
COINS NH 4 OH + NH 4 Cl Potassium Ferrocyanide
Test Test

₹1 Reddish Brown Prussian Blue colouration

ppt.
₹2 Reddish brown Prussian Blue Colouration
ppt.
₹5 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE
₹10 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE

INFERENCE:
₹ 1 Coins contain Fe3+.
₹ 2 Coins contain Fe3+
TEST FOR CATION (Co2+) AND (Ni2+):
Preliminary:
Original Solution + NH 4 Cl + NH 4 OH + H 2 S Black ppt.
Co2+ (aq.) + S2 - CoS ↓ (black ppt.)
Ni2+ (aq.) + S2- NiS ↓ (black ppt.)
Dilute the black ppt. in Aqua Regia.
Co2+ gives pink solution.
Ni2+ gives greenish solution.
CoS + 2HCl + 3[O] (from Aqua Regia) CoCl 2 (pink) +
H 2 O + SO 2
NiS + 2HCl + 3[O] (from Aqua Regia) NiCl 2 (greenish)
+ H 2 O + SO 2

Confirmatory:
1. For CO 2+ ion:
CO2+ (aq.) + 2KSCN acetone
blue coloured layer of
[Co(SCN) 2 ] in
acetone
2. For Ni2+ ion:
Greenish solution + Dimethyl glyoxime cherry red ppt.
OBSERVATION:
COINS Ni CO
₹1 POSITIVE NEGATIVE
₹2 NEGATIVE POSITIVE
₹5 POSITIVE NEGATIVE
₹10 POSITIVE NEGATIVE

INFERENCE:
1 and 5 coins contain Ni2+.
2 coin contains Co2+.
TEST FOR CATION (Ba2+), (Sr2+) AND (Ca2+):

Preliminary:
Original Solution + NH 4 Cl + NH 4 OH + (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 white
ppt.
Ba2+ + CO 3 2- BaCO 3 ↓ (white ppt.)
Sr2+ + CO 3 2- SrCO 3 ↓ (white ppt.)
Ca2+ + CO 3 2- CaCO 3 ↓ (white ppt.)

OBSERVATION:
COINS Reaction with (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3
₹1 No Precipitate
₹2 No Precipitate
₹5 No Precipitate
₹10 No Precipitate

INFERENCE:
None of the coins contain any of the metals of group V.
TEST FOR CATION (Mg2+):

To the original solution add excess NH 4 Cl (s) , NH 4 OH and

Ammonium Phosphate solution and scratch the sides of the
test tube with a glass rod.
A white ppt. Confirms Mg2+.

OBSERVATION:

COINS Reaction with (NH 4 ) 3 PO 4

₹1 No Precipitate
₹2 No Precipitate
₹5 No Precipitate
₹10 No Precipitate

INFERENCE:
None of the coins contain Mg2+.
 CONCLUSION

The metals present in Indian Coins are:

COINS Metal present
₹1 NICKEL & IRON
₹2 IRON & COBALT
₹5 NICKEL & COPPER
₹10
PRECAUTIONS
 ALWAYS WEAR LAB COAT AND GLOVES.
 DO NOT DISTURB THE SOLUTION FOR 3
DAYS.
 CLEAN THE COINS BEFORE DOING TEST.
 DO NOT SHAKE THE AQUA REGIA
VIGOROUSLY.
 THE APPARATUS TO BE USED SHOULD BE
CLAENED THOROUGHLY.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 N.C.E.R.T. Chemistry for Class

XII

 Comprehensive Practical
Chemistry for Class XII

 Youtube.com