GROUP VI

SOLUBLE GROUP
Group VI (Soluble Group)
Members:
Magnesium (Mg2+)
Sodium (Na+)
Potassium (K+)
Ammonium (NH4+)

Group Reagent:
No common group reagent!!
Procedure for identification and confirmation of group VI cations:
• The centrifugate obtained from group V is evaporated to one - third the
volume.
• Add ammonium sulphate and ammonium oxalate, boil.
• Any precipitate, if comes, is centrifuged and discarded as it belongs to
group V.
• The centrifugate is used for the identification of magnesium, sodium and
potassium.
• Add to the centrifugate disodium hydrogen phosphate and ammonium
hydroxide (to precipitate magnesium), centrifuge.
• The precipitate is used for identifying magnesium.
• The centrifugate is used for identifying sodium and potassium.
Identification of Magnesium:
Disodium hydrogen phosphate and
ammonium hydroxide will precipitate
magnesium as a white crystalline precipitate
which proves the presence of magnesium:

Mg2+ + HPO42-+ NH4OH → MgNH4PO4↓ (white

crystalline ppt) + H2O
Identification of Sodium and Potassium :
Evaporate the centrifugate to dryness to remove NH4+ ions.
Add water, and then divide into two portions to test for sodium
and potassium.

Test for Sodium:

Add potassium pyroantimonate, white crystalline precipitate is
formed:
K2H2Sb2O7 + 2Na+ → Na2H2Sb2O7 ↓ (white crystalline ppt) + 2K+
Flame test:
Sodium gives a golden yellow flame.
Test for Potassium:
Add acetic acid and sodium cobaltinitrite, yellow
precipitate is formed:
Na3[Co(NO2)6]+ 3K+ → K3[Co(NO2)6] ↓ (yellow ppt) +
3Na+

Flame test:
Potassium gives a violet flame.
Identification of Ammonium:
The ammonium ions should not be tested from the group
centrifugate as we have supplied NH4+ many times
during groups' analysis.
Therefore, it should be tested from the original solution.
The confirmation can be achieved by the following
ways:
1- Heat the original solution with NaOH, a characteristic
smell of ammonia is obtained which turns a red litmus
paper into blue:
NH4+ + OH- → NH3↑ + H2O
2- To the original solution, add sodium cobaltinitrite, yellow
precipitate is formed:
Na3[Co(NO2)6]+ 3NH4+ → (NH4)3[Co(NO2)6] ↓ (yellow ppt)
+ 3Na+

Note:
Potassium interferes in this test.