Salts and chemical
Analysis
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Salts
A salt is a compound that is
formed when the hydrogen
atom in an acid is replaced by
a metal.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
For example if we replace
the H in HCl with a
potassium atom, then the
salt potassium chloride is
formed, KCl.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Salts are an important
branch of chemistry due to
the varied and important
uses of this class of
compounds.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
These uses include
fertilisers, batteries,
cleaning products,
healthcare products and
fungicides.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Naming salts
The name of a salt has two
parts:
The first part comes from
the metal, metal oxide
or metal carbonate used in
the reaction.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
The second part comes
from the acid.
The name of the salt can be
determined by looking at
the reactants.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
For example hydrochloric
acid always produces salts
that end in chloride and
contain the chloride ion, Cl–
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Other examples:
Sodium hydroxide reacts
with hydrochloric acid to
produce sodium chloride.
Zinc oxide reacts
with sulfuric acid to
produce zinc sulfate.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Preparing salts
Some salts can be extracted
by mining but others need
to be prepared in the
laboratory.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
There are two key ideas to
consider when preparing
salts:
Is the salt being
formed soluble or insoluble
in water?
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Is there water of
crystallisation present in
the salt crystals?
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Preparing soluble salts
Method A: adding acid to a
solid metal, base or
carbonate.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Method:
Add dilute acid into a
beaker and heat using a
bunsen burner flame.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Add the insoluble metal, base
or carbonate, a little at a time,
to the warm dilute acid and
stir until the base is in excess
(i.e. until the base stops
disappearing and a suspension
of the base forms in the acid).
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Filter the mixture into an
evaporating basin to
remove the excess base.
Heat the solution to
evaporate water and to
make the solution
saturated.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Check the solution is
saturated by dipping a cold,
glass rod into the solution
and seeing if crystals form
on the end.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Leave the filtrate in a
warm place to dry and
crystallize. Decant excess
solution and allow crystals
to dry.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Preparation of pure,
Hydrated Copper (II)
Sulfate Crystals using
Method A
Acid = Dilute Sulfuric Acid
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Insoluble base = Copper (II)
Oxide
Method:
Add dilute sulfuric acid into
a beaker and heat using a
bunsen burner flame.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Add copper (II) oxide
(insoluble base), a little at a
time to the warm dilute
sulfuric acid and stir until
the copper (II) oxide is in
excess (stops disappearing).
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Filter the mixture into an
evaporating basin to
remove the excess copper
(II) oxide. Leave the filtrate
in a warm place to dry and
crystallize.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Decant excess solution and
blot crystals dry.
Equation of reaction:
Copper (II) Oxide + Dilute
Sulfuric Acid → Copper (II)
Sulphate + Water
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
CuO (s) + H2SO4 (aq) →
CuSO4 (s) + H2O (l)
Method B: reacting a dilute
acid and alkali
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Method:
Use a pipette to measure
the alkali into a conical
flask and add a few drops
of indicator
(phenolphthalein or methyl
orange).
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Add the acid into the burette
and note the starting volume.
Add the acid very slowly from
the burette to the conical flask
until the indicator changes to
appropriate colour.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Note and record the final
volume of acid in burette
and calculate the volume of
acid added (starting volume
of acid – final volume of
acid).
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Add this same volume of
acid into the same volume
of alkali without the
indicator. Heat to partially
evaporate, leaving a
saturated solution.
Preparation, Separation
& Purification of Salts
Leave to crystallise decant
excess solution and allow
crystals to dry.
Extended Only
Preparing Insoluble Salts
Insoluble salts can be
prepared using a
precipitation reaction.
Preparing Insoluble Salts
The solid salt obtained is
the precipitate, thus in
order to successfully use this
method the solid salt being
formed must be insoluble in
water.
Using two soluble reactants
Preparing Insoluble Salts
Method:
Dissolve soluble salts in
water and mix together
using a stirring rod in a
beaker.
Preparing Insoluble Salts
Filter to remove precipitate
from mixture.
Wash filtrate with water to
remove traces of other
solutions. Leave in an oven
to dry.
Preparing Insoluble Salts
Preparation of Pure, Dry
Lead (II) Sulfate Crystals
using a precipitation
reaction
Soluble Salt 1 = Lead (II)
Nitrate
Soluble Salt 2 = Potassium
Sulfate
Preparing Insoluble Salts
Method:
Dissolve Lead (II) Nitrate
and Potassium Sulfate in
water and mix together
using a stirring rod in a
beaker.
Preparing Insoluble Salts
Filter to remove precipitate
from mixture.
Wash precipitate with
water to remove traces of
potassium nitrate solution.
Leave in an oven to dry.
Preparing Insoluble Salts
Equation of reaction:
Lead (II) Nitrate +
Potassium Sulfate → Lead
(II) Sulfate + Potassium
Nitrate
Pb(NO3)2 (aq) + K2SO4 (aq)
→ PbSO4 (s) + 2KNO3 (aq)
Extended Only
Selecting a Method of
Preparation
Selecting a method of
preparation. When deciding the
method of preparation, it is
important to first know
whether the salt being
produced is soluble or insoluble.
Selecting a Method of
Preparation
If it is soluble then it can be
prepared using either
method (A or B) for
preparing a soluble salt.
If it is insoluble then it must
be prepared by using
precipitation.
Identification of Cations
Metal cations in aqueous
solution can be identified by
the colour of the precipitate
they form on addition of
sodium hydroxide and
ammonia.
Identification of Cations
If only a small amount of
NaOH is used then normally
the metal-
hydroxide precipitates
In excess NaOH some of the
precipitates may dissolve.
Identification of Cations
A few drops of NaOH is added
at first and any colour changes
or precipitates formed are
noted.
Then the NaOH is added in
excess and if the reaction is
observed [Link] steps are
repeated for the test using
ammonia solution.
Identification of Cations
Analysing results
The table contains the results
for each of the cations included
in the syllabus, a precipitate is
formed from either NaOH or
aqueous ammonia then the
hydroxide is insoluble in water.
Identification of Cations
Zinc for example reacts as
such:
ZnCl2(aq) + 2NaOH(aq)
→Zn(OH)2 + 2NaCl (aq)
Identification of Cations
Ca2+ ions can be
distinguished from
Zn2+ and Al3+ as calcium
hydroxide precipitate does
not dissolve in excess NaOH
but both zinc hydroxide and
aluminium hydroxide do.
Identification of Cations
Zn2+ ions can be
distinguished from Al3+ ions
as ZnOH dissolves in excess.
aqueous ammonia but
Al(OH)3 does not.
Most transition metals
produce hydroxides with
distinctive colours.
Identification of Cations
Tests for cations
The flame test is used to
identify the metal cations
by the colour of the flame
they produce.
Identification of Cations
A small sample of the
compound is placed on
an unreactive metal wire
such as nichrome or
platinum.
The colour of the flame is
observed and used to
identify the metal.
Exam Tip
The ammonia or sodium
hydroxide solution must be
added very slowly. If it is
added too quickly and the
precipitate is soluble in
excess.
Exam Tip
Then you run the risk of
missing the formation of
the initial precipitate,
which dissolves as quickly as
it forms if excess solution is
[Link] sure to distinguish
between the term
“colourless” and “clear”.
Exam Tip
A solution that loses its
colour has become
colourless. A clear solution is
one that you can see
through such as water.
Solutions can be clear and
have colour eg. dilute
copper sulphate.
Identification of Anions
Exam Tip
When it comes to
qualitative inorganic
analysis, always remember
that there will be a test for
the metal cation part of
the molecule and another
test for the anion part.
Identification of Gases
Several tests for anions and
cations produce gases which
then need to be tested.
The table below indicates
the tests for the gases
included in the syllabus.
Exam Tip
It is easy to confuse the
tests for hydrogen and
oxygen. Try to remember
that a ligHted splint has a
H for Hydrogen, while a
glOwing splint has an O for
Oxygen.
