SALT ANALYSIS

List of Anions and Cations: -

Anions Cations
1. CO32- NH4+
2. S2- Pb2+
3. SO32- Cu2+
4. Cl- Al3+
5. Br- Fe3+
6. 𝑵𝑶−
𝟑 Ni2+
7. SO42- Zn2+
8. C2O42- Co2+
9. CH3COO- Ca2+
10. PO43- Sr2+
Ba2+
Mg2+
Qualitative Salt Analysis:
Aim: To analyse a salt qualitatively for one anion and
cation.
Preliminary test:
EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE
1.Colour Colourless Absence of Cu2+,
Co2+, Fe2+ and Ni2+.

2.State Crystalline/Amorphous Presence of ____ salt

3.Solubility
a.salt+water Soluble/insoluble Presence of ____ salt
b.salt+dilHCl soluble/insoluble Presence of ____ salt

4.Action of heat: a. Water vapour on the side Hydrate salt

of the test tube.
b. No water drops Anhydrous salt
c. Colourless gas with Acetone salt
Take a small amount vinegar smell
of salt in a dry test d. Reddish brown vapours Nitrate salt
e. White sublimate Ammonium salt
tube and heat. f. blue colour salt changes to Copper salt
colourless salt

5.Flame test a. apple green Barium salt

colour
Take some salt in a b. brick red flame. calcium salt
watch glass and add
drops of conc. HCL c. Crimson red strontium salt
to make it a paste. flame
Take a small amount d. No Absence of Ba2+ Ca2+
of it on the tip of characteristics and Sr2+
glass rod and heat it reaction.
in a blue flame.
Identification of anions (acid radicals)
Experiment Observation Inference
a. Brisk effervescence CO32- is present
with colourless, odourless
gas which turns lime
1. Salt+Dil.HCL
water milky

b. No characteristic Absence of CO32-

reaction
2. Salt+dil.H2SO4 Acetate (CH3COO-) is
rub a little of salt a. Smell of vinegar. present
with dil.H2SO4 in Absence of Acetone
b. No characteristics
a watch glass reaction.

a. Pungent smelling Cl- is present

colourless gas giving
dense white fumes with
the glass rod dipped in
3. Salt + Conc. NH4OH soln.
H2SO4 b. Evolution of Br- is present
pungent smelling
brownish gas. I- is present
c. Evolution of Violet
vapours.
Absence of Cl-, Br-and
d. No characteristics
reaction. I-

4. Salt + Conc. NO3- is present

H2SO4+Cu a. Reddish brown gas
evolves
turnings and
b. No characteristics
heat strongly reaction. Absence of NO3-

5. Salt + BaCl2 SO42- is present

soln. a. White PPT insoluble in
Conc.HCL.
Absence of SO42-
b. No characteristics
reaction.
Confirmatory Test for Anions (Acid Radicals)
Experiment Observation Inference

1.Salt +BaCl2 soln. White PPT. Soluble CO32- is confirmed

in Dil.HCl

2. Salt soln.+ Deep red colour CH3COO(Acetate)

Neutral FeCl3 is confirmed

3. Salt soln. + Dil a. White PPT. Soluble CI- is confirmed

HNO3+ AgNO3 in NH4OH soln.
solution b. Pale Yellow PPT BR- is confirmed.
sparingly soluble on
in NH40H.
c. Yellow PPT
Insoluble in NH4OH I- is confirmed.

4. Brown Ring test: A brown ring is NO3- is confirmed

Salt soln. + freshly formed at the
prepared FESO4 junction of the 2
soln. + add from layers.
sides of the test
tube Conc.H2SO4
drop wise.
5. Salt soln. + Lead White PPT. SO42- is confirmed
acetate soln.
Identification of Cation:
For cation analysis make the salt solution in distilled water and label as
original solution.

EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

1. O.S + sodium a. A gas with pungent odour Zero group cations
hydroxide and heat giving dense white fumes with a NH4+ is present
strongly. glass rod dipped in conc.HCL.
b. No characteristic reaction
Absence of zero grp
cation
2. O.S+Dil.HCL a. white curdy ppt 1st Grp cations
Pb2+ present
b. No characteristic reaction Absence of 1st grp
cation
3. O.S+Dil.HCl+Yellow 2nd group cations
Ammonium Sulphide or a. Black ppt Cu2+ is present
H2S b. Yellow ppt Cd2+ is present
c. No characteristic reaction Absence of 2nd group
cations
4. O.S + NH4Cl+ 3rd group cations
NH4OH a.White ppt Al2+ is present
b.Pale green ppt Fe2+ is present
c.Reddish brown ppt Fe3+ is present
d.No characteristic reaction Absence of 3rd group
cations

5.O.S + NH4Cl + 4th group cations

NH4OH + Yellow a.White ppt Zn2+ is present
Ammonium b.Buff ppt Mn2+ is present
Sulphide[(NH2)2S] c.Black ppt Co2+ is present
d.Black ppt Ni2+ is present
e.No characteristic reaction Absence of 4th group
cations
6.O.S + NH4Cl + 5th group cations
NH4OH + (NH4)2CO3 a.White ppt Ba2+, Ca2+, or Sr2+ is
soln present
b.No characteristic reaction Absence of 5th group
cations

7.O.S + NaOH – Heat 6th group cations

strongly a.White ppt Mg2+ is present

b.No characteristic reaction Absence of 6th group

cations
Confirmatory Test for Cations:
EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE
O.S + Nessler’s reagent Brown ppt NH4+ is confirmed

O.S + KI solution (few yellow ppt Pb2+ is confirmed

drops)
O.S + Excess NH4OH Deep Blue colour Cu2+ is confirmed

O.S + NaOH Solution White gelatinous ppt Al3+ is confirmed

a. O.S + Potassium Blue colour or ppt Fe3+ is confirmed

Ferrocyanide soln
b. O.S + Ammonium Deep red colour Fe3+ is confirmed
Thiocyanide
Solution
a. O.S + Potassium White or bluish ppt Zn2+ is confirmed
Ferrocyanide
b. O.S + NaOH White ppt soluble in Zn2+ is confirmed
solution excess NaOH soln

O. S + few drops of Purple Coloration Mn2+ is confirmed

conc.HNO3 +PbO2(solid)
O.S + Amyl alcohol + Blue Colour in Alcohol CO3+ is confirmed
solid NH4SCN Layer
O.S + DimethiyGlyoxime Pink ppt Ni2+ is confirmed
+ NH4OH
O.S + Acetic Acid (few a. Yellow ppt Ba2+ is confirmed
drops) + b. yellow colouration Co2+ is confirmed
K2CrO4(potassium
chromate)
O.S + (NH4)2C2O4 White ppt Cu2+ is confirmed
solution (ammonium
oxalate
a. O.S + (NH4)2SO4 White ppt Sr2+ is confirmed
solution
(Ammonium
sulphate)
b. O.S + Conc.H2SO4 White ppt Sr2+ is confirmed

O.S + Sodium Phosphate White ppt Mg2+ is confirmed

solution