PROCEDURE FOR SALT ANALYSIS
PRELIMINARY TESTS
SL.NO EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION
1. Colour of the salt a) Blue or bluish green
b) Reddish brown
c) No characteristic
colour
2. Smell of the salt a) Ammoniacal smell
b) No ammoniacal smell
3. FLAME TEST a) Brick red
Conc. HCl+ salt paste b) Crimson red
introduced in the flame c) Grassy green
using glass rod d) Bluish green
e) Bluish white flame
No characteristic change
4. ACTION OF HEAT a) White sublimate
Salt is heated in a dry test
tube b) Decrepitating noise,
c) Blue salt changes to
white
d) A reddish brown gas
evolved which turns
FeSO4 solution black.
e)White salt turns yellow
f) No characteristic
reaction
5. ASH TEST
Salt + cobalt nitrate a) Blue ash
solution mixture is taken in b) Green ash
a filter c) Pale Pink ash
Paper and introduced into d) No characteristic
the flame coloured ash
ANALYSIS OF ANION
SL.NO EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION
1. Salt + dilute HCl Brisk effervescence
No Brisk effervescence
2. Salt + MnO2 + Conc. H2SO4 Greenish yellow gas which
+ heat + turns moist starch-iodide
paper blue
No greenish yellow gas
3. Salt solution + lead acetate + White precipitate
acetic acid No white precipitate
INFERENCE
May be copper
May be ferric
Absence of copper, ferric
May be ammonium
Absence of ammonium
Presence of calcium
Presence of strontium
Presence of barium
Presence of copper
May be lead nitrate
Absence of calcium, strontium
May be ammonium
May be lead nitrate
May be copper sulphate
May be presence of lead nitrate
May be Zinc
Absence of ammonium, lead
nitrate , copper sulphate and
Zinc
Presence of aluminium
Presence of zinc
Presence of Magnesium
Absence of aluminium, zinc and
magnesium
INFERENCE
Presence of carbonate
Absence of carbonate
Presence of chloride
Absence of chloride
Presence of sulphate
Absence of sulphate
4. Salt + copper turnings + conc. Reddish brown gas Presence of nitrate
H2SO4 + heat No reddish brown gas Absence of nitrate
CONFIRMATORY TEST FOR ANION

Sl.NO EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

1. CARBONATE
a) Salt + dilute HCl Brisk effervescence Presence of carbonate is
confirmed

b) Magnesium sulphate White precipitate Presence of carbonate is

test confirmed
Salt solution + magnesium
sulphate solution

2. CHLORIDE
a) Silver Nitrate test
salt solution + dilute nitric White precipitate Presence of Chloride is
caid + silver nitrate solution confirmed

b) Salt + MnO2 + Conc. Greenish yellow gas which Presence of Chloride is

H2SO4 + heat turns moist starch iodide confirmed
paper blue
3. SULPHATE
a) Barium chloride test
Salt solution + barium White precipitate which is Presence of Sulphte is
chloride solution insoluble in conc . HCl confirmed
b) Salt solution + lead
acetate + acetic acid White precipitate Presence of Sulphate is
confirmed
4. NITRATE

a) Brown ring test Brown ring is formed at the Presence of Nitrate is

Salt solution + freshly junction of two layers confirmed
prepared ferrous sulphate
solution + conc. H2SO4 is
added along the sides of the
test tube Reddish brown gas Presence of Nitrate is
confirmed
b) Salt + copper turnings +
conc. H2SO4 + heat
5. PHOSPHATE
a) Ammonium molybdate
test
Salt solution + conc. HNO3 + Canary yellow precipitate Presence of Phosphate
ammonium molybdate + heat confirmed
and cool

ANALYSIS OF CATION

Preparation of original solution: salt + distilled water

SL.NO EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE
1. ZERO GROUP Pungent smelling gas turns Presence of ammonium
The salt is boiled with NaOH. red litmus blue produce
the gas evolved is treated dense white fumes with glass
with red litmus paper and rod dipped in conc.HCl
glass rod dipped in conc.HCl
2. I GROUP
Original solution + dil. HCl White precipitate Presence of lead
3. II GROUP
Original solution + dil . HCl Black precipitate Presence of copper
+ pass H2S
4.
III GROUP White precipitate Presence of Aluminium
Original solution + solid
NH4Cl + NH4OH in excess. Reddish brown precipitate Presence of ferric ion
5. IV GROUP
Original solution + solid Dull white precipitate Presence of zinc
NH4Cl + NH4OH in excess.+
pass H2S
6. V GROUP Presence of calcium or
Original solution + solid White precipitate strontium or barium
NH4Cl + NH4OH +
(NH4)2CO3
7. VI GROUP Presence of Magnesium
Original solution + solid White precipitate
NH4Cl + NH4OH + disodium
hydrogen phosphate

CONIRMATORY TESTS FOR CATION

1. ZERO GROUP AMMONIUM

a) Nesslers reagent test Reddish brown precipitate Presence of ammonium is
salt solution + NaOH in excess + confirmed
+ Nessler’s reagent

b) The salt is boiled with

NaOH . the gas evolved Pungent smelling gas turns Presence of ammonium is
is treated with red litmus red litmus blue Produce confirmed
paper and glass rod white fumes with glass rod
dipped in conc. HCl dipped in conc . HCl

2. I GROUP LEAD
a) Salt solution + potassium Yellow precipitate Presence of lead is
iodide solution confirmed

b) Salt solution + dil . HCl White precipitate

3. II GROUP COPPER
a) Salt solution + potassium
ferrocyanide solution
b) FLAME TEST
Conc. HCl + salt paste
Introduced in the flame
Chocolate brown precipitate
Bluish green flame
Presence of lead
Presence of copper is
confirmed
Presence of copper is
confirmed
 Using glass rod
4. III GROUP (ALUMINIUM) A bright red lake Presence of Aluminium is
a) Salt solution + NH4OH + confirmed
aluminon reagent
b) Salt + cobalt ntrate +
Conc.HNO3 solution Mixture is
taken Blue ash Presence of Aluminium is
in a filter paper and confirmed
introduced into the flame
5. IV GROUP (ZINC)
a) Salt solution + potassium White precipitate Presence of zinc is
ferrocyanide solution confirmed
b) Salt + cobalt nitrate +
Conc.HNO3 solution Mixture is Green ash
taken in filter paper and Presence of zinc is
introduced into the confirmed
flame
6. V GROUP
a) Calcium
salt solution + ammonium White precipitate Presence of calcium is
oxalate solution + NH4OH confirmed

FLAME TEST
Conc. HCl + salt paste Brick red coloured flame Presence of calcium is
Introduced in the flame confirmed
using glass rod

b) Strontium
Salt solution +ammonium White precipitate Presence of strontium is
Sulphate solution and warm confirmed

FLAME TEST
Conc.HCl + salt The paste is
Introduced in the flame Crimson red coloured flame Presence of strontium is
using glass rod confirmed
c) BARIUM
Salt solution + potassium
chromate solution Yellow precipitate Presence of Barium is
confirmed
FLAME TEST
Conc. HCl + salt paste
Introduced in the flame Grassy green coloured flame Presence of Barium is
using glass rod confirmed

7. VI GROUP
Salt solution + magneson Blue precipitate Presence of magnesium is
reagent confirmed

Salt solution + solid NH4Cl + White precipitate Presence of Magnesium is

NH4OH + disodium confirmed.
hydrogen phosphate