1.

Note the colour of the salt Blue May be copper

Green May be nickel
Light pink May be manganese
Dark pink May be cobalt
Brown May be ferric
White Absence of copper, nickel,
manganese, cobalt and ferric

2.Flame test Brick red colour May be calcium

Make a paste of the salt
with concentrated HCl and
introduce it into the
nonluminous Bunsen flame
Crimson red colour May be strontium
Apple green colour May be barium
Bluish green colour May be copper
No characteristic change Absence of calcium ,
strontium , barium , copper

3.Action of dilute HCl Brisk effervescence turning May be carbonate

To a pinch of the salt add lime water milky
dilute HCl (release of CO2 )
Na2CO3 + 2HCl –› 2NaCl + H2O + CO2 CO2 +Ca(OH)2 –› CaCO3 + H2O

Colourless gas with the smell May be acetate

of vinegar
CH3COONa + HCl –› NaCl + CH3COOH

Colourless gas with a rotten May be sulphide

egg smell turning lead
acetate paper black
Na2S + 2HCl –› 2NaCl + H2S H2S + (CH3COO)2Pb –› PbS + CH3COOH

Colourless gas with an May be sulphite

irritating odour turning
acidified dichromate paper
green
Na2SO3 + 2HCl –› 2NaCl + H2O + SO2 3SO2 + Cr2O72- + 2H+ –› 2Cr3+ + 3SO42-+ H2O

Brown fumes in the cold May be nitrite

NaNO2 + HCl –› HNO2 + NaCl 3HNO2 –› HNO3 + H2O + 2NO 2NO + O2 –› 2NO2
 4. Action of concH2SO4 Colourless gas giving dense May be chloride
To a pinch of salt add conc white fumes with a glass rod
H2SO4 and heat dipped in NHOH solution
2NaCl + H2SO4 –› Na2SO4 + 2HCl HCl + NH3 –› NH4Cl

Reddish brown fumes turning May be bromide

starch paper yellow
2NaBr + 3H2SO4 –› Na2SO4 + 2H2O + SO2 + Br2

Violet vapours turning starch May be iodide

paper blue
2NaI + 3H2SO4 –› 2NaHSO4 + 2H2O + SO2 + I2

Reddish brown fumes turning May be nitrate

ferrous sulphate solution
black
NaNO3 + H2SO4 –› HNO3 + Na2SO4 4HNO3 –› 2H2O + O2 + 4NO2

Colourless gas with the smell May be acetate

of vinegar
CH3COOHNa + H2SO4 –› CH3COOH + NaHSO4

5. Action of MnO2 and conc Greenish yellow gas turning May be chloride
H2SO4 and heat starch iodide paper blue
To a pinch of salt add a little
MnO2 and conc H2SO4 and
heat

Reddish brown vapours May be bromide

turning starch paper yellow

Violet vapours turning starch May be iodide

paper blue
2NaX + MnO2 + 3H2O –› 2NaHSO4 + MnO4 + 2H2O + X2

6. Action of copper turnings Reddish brown fumes and a May be nitrate

and con H2SO4 and heat green solution
strongly

7. Test for acetate Blood red colouration Presence of acetate

To a solution of salt add CH3COO- confirmed
FeCl3 solution
FeCl3 + 3CH3COONa –› 3NaCl + (CH3COO)3Fe
 8. Test for phosphate Yellow precipitate Presence of phosphate PO4-3
To a solution of the salt add confirmed
conc HNO3 and ammonium
molbydate solution
PO3-4 + 12MoO42- + 24H+ –› [PMo12O40]3- + 12H2O

9. Test for sulphate White ppt soluble in excess Presence of sulphate

To the salt solution add lead of hot ammonium acetate confirmed
acetate soln followed by Pb2++ SO42- –› PbSO4
ammonium acetate soln and
heat

Preparation of Sodium Carbonate Extract – Wet tests for Anions

To one part of the salt add three parts of sodium carbonate and distilled water. Boil for 10
mins and filter. The filterate is the sodium carbonate extract

Confirmatory test for
halide ion
Neutralize a part of the
extract with dil HNO3 and
add a few drops of AgNO3
followed by NH4OH soln
Ag + X –› AgX AgX+ 2NH3 –› [Ag(NH3)2]X
Curdy white ppt soluble in Presence of chloride Cl-
NH4OH confirmed
Pale yellow ppt sparingly Presence of bromide Br-
soluble in NH4OH confirmed
Yellow ppt insoluble in NH4OH Presence of iodide I-
confirmed
Black ppt
Presence of sulphide S2-
confirmed

Confirmatory test for Thick white ppt insol in conc Presence of sulphate SO42-
sulphate and sulphite HCl confirmed
Neutralize a part of the White ppt sol in conc HCl Presence of sulphite SO32-
extract with dil HCl and add confirmed
BaCl2 soln
Ba2+ + SO42- –› BaSO4 Ba2++ SO32- –› BaSO3

Brown ring test for nitrate A brown ring is formed at Presence of nitrate NO3-
Neutralize a part of the the junction of the two
extract with dil H2SO4. layers
Then add FeSO4 solution
(freshly prepared) and conc
H2SO4 along the sides of the
test tube
NaNO3 + H2SO4 –› NaHSO + HNO3 4H+ + NO3- + 3Fe2+ –› 3Fe3+ + NO + 2H2O

[Fe(H2O)6]2+ + NO –› [Fe(H2O)5NO] + H2O

Groupwise classification of cations

I Pb2+ Chloride
2+ 2+
II Pb , Cu Sulphide
3+
III Fe Hydroxide
2+ 2+ 2+ 2+
IV Zn , Mn ,Ni ,Co Sulphide
2+ 2+ 2+
V Ba ,Sr ,Ca Carbonate
2+
VI Mg
Group separation Prepare a solution of the salt in distilled water and if not soluble in dil HCl.
This is the orginal solution(OS)

OS + dil HCl White ppt Presence of group I Pb2+

OS + dil HCl + H2S
OS + solid NH4Cl + NH4OH
OS + solid NH4Cl + NH4OH +
H2S gas
OS + solid NH4Cl + NH4OH +
(NH4)2CO3
Black ppt Presence of group II Pb2+,
Cu2
Reddish brown ppt Presence of group III Fe3+
Presence of group IV
Dirty white, buff or black Zn2+, Mn2+,Ni2+,Co2+
ppt
Zn2+ Mn2+ Ni2+/ Co2+
Presence of group V
White ppt Ba2+,Sr2+,Ca2+

OS + solid NH4Cl + NH4OH + Presence of group VI Mg2+

disodium hydrogen White ppt
phosphate
1) Pb2+ + 2Cl –› PbCl2
2) Cu2++ S2- –› CuS Pb2+ + S2- –› PbS
3) M3+ + 3OH –› M(OH)3 M3+ = Al3+ , Fe3+
4) M2+ + S2-–› MS M2+ = Zn2+, Mn2+,Ni2+,Co2+
5) M2+ + CO32- –› MCO3 M2+ = Ba2+ , Sr2+,Ca2+
6) MgSO4 +NH4OH+ Na2HPO4 > MgNH4PO4 + Na2SO4 + H2O

Analysis of group I Pb2+

Heat the white ppt of group I with water until it dissolves and divide the solution into 3
parts

1) To the first part add Yellow ppt which dissolves on Presence of lead Pb2+
potassium iodide heating and reappears on confirmed
solution cooling as golden spangles
Pb2++ I - –› PbI2
Ppt -> lead oxide
 Yellow ppt
2) To the second part Pb2+ + CrO42- -> PbCrO4 Presence of lead confirmed
add potassium
chromate solution
3) Cool the third part White crystals reappear Presence of lead confirmed

Analysis of group II (Cu2+, Pb2+)

If the OS is blue it is copper and if it is colourless it is lead divide the blue OS into 2 parts.

1) To the first part add Light blue ppt dissolving in Presence of copper Cu2+
NH4OH dropwise excess of NH4OH giving a deep confirmed
blue solution
Cu2++ 4NH3 -> [Cu(NH3)4]2+
2) To the second part
add K4[Fe(CN)6]soln Choclate brown ppt
2Cu2++[Fe(CN)6]+-> Cu2[Fe(CN)6]

Analysis of group II (Al3+, Fe3+)

The reddish brown ppt of group III indicates Fe3+. It is dissolved in dil HCl and divided into
2 parts

1) To one part add Prussian blue ppt Presence of ferric

potassium 4Fe3++ 3[Fe(CN)6]4 -> Fe3+confirmed
ferrocyanide soln Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3

2) To the second part Blood red ppt Presence of ferric

add potassium Fe3++ 3CNS- -> Fe(CNS)3 confirmed
thiocyanate soln
Analysis of group IV (Zn2+, Mn2+,Ni2+,Co2+)

The dirty white ppt of group IV indicates Zn2+. It is dissolved in dil HCl and divided into 2
parts

1) To the first part add White ppt which dissolves in excess Presence of zinc
NaOH in excess of NaOH Zn2+ confirmed
Zn2++ OH- -> Zn(OH)2
Zn(OH)2 + 2NaOH -> Na2[Zn(OH)4]

2) To the second part add Bluish white ppt Presence of zinc

potassium ferrocyanide 2Zn2++[Fe(CN)6]4 -> Zn2[Fe(CN)6] confirmed
soln
The buff coloured ppt of group IV indicates Mn2+ it is dissolved in dil HCl and divided into 2
parts