STUDYSMART

CHEMISTRY FORM 4
CHAPTER 8 : SALTS
8.1 Synthesising Salts
8.2 Synthesising qualitative analysis of salts
8.3 Practising to be systematic and meticulous when carrying
out activities

8.1 SYNTHESISING SALTS

A salt is a compound formed when the hydrogen

ion, H+ from an acid is replaced by a metal ion
or an ammonium ion, NH4+
Examples
HCl + NaOH NaCl + H2O
2HNO3 + Zn Zn(NO3)2 + H2
H2SO4 + MgCO3 MgSO4 + H2O + CO2
Complete the table below
Metal
Ion

Sulphate salt Chloride salt

(From H2SO4) (From HCl)

Nitric Acid
(From HNO3)

Carbonate salt
(From H2CO3)

Na+
K+
Zn2+
Mg2+
Ca2+
Fe2+
Fe3+
Cu2+
NH4+
Ba2+
Al3+
Pb2+
Ag2+
INSOLUBLE SALT
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Solubility of salt.
All K+ , Na+ and NH4+ salts are soluble
All nitrate salts are soluble
All carbonate are soluble except K2CO3, Na2CO3 and (NH4)2CO3
All Sulphate salts are soluble except BaSO4 , CaSO4, and PbSO4
All chloride salts are soluble except AgCl2 and PbCl2
The preparation of salt on its solubility of the salt and the nature of the reaction.
Preparation of salt
METHOD 3

METHOD 1

Soluble

K+ , Na+ NH4+

Other than K+ , Na+

NH4+ salts

Acid + Alkali Salt + H2O

Titration of acid and alkali
- Add acid to the alkali until it is neutral
with the aid of an indicator
- Repeat the procedure without using an
indicator

Insoluble

METHOD 2

Acid + basic oxide Salt + water

Acid + metal Salt + Hydrogen gas
Acid + Metal Carbonate Salt + Water + CO2

- Mix two solution containing cations and

anions of insoluble salts
- Stir using glass rod
- Filter using filter funnel
- Rinse the residue with distilled water
- Dry the residue with filter paper

- Add basic oxide fillings/metals/metal carbonate to the acid and heat

it until some of it no longer dissolves. (This mean all acid has reacted
with the basic oxide/metal/metal carbonate)
- Filter to move excess solid residue
2

2
- Gently heat the filtrate to obtain a saturated solution (one-third of its original
volume remains)
- Cool the hot saturated solution to allow it to crystallize
- Filter and dry the crystals by using filter paper

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TRY THIS 1
Write all possible chemical equation to prepare soluble salts and chemical equation for insoluble salt
*******KEY*******
S = SOLUBLE SALT
IS = INSOLUBLE SALT
SALT
Zinc Chloride

SOLUBILITY

CHEMICAL EQUATION

Sodium
Nitrate

Silver Chloride

Copper(II)
Sulphate

Lead(II)
Sulphate

Aluminium
Nitrate

Lead(II)
Chloride

Magnesium
Nitrate

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Potassium
Chloride

Lead(II)
Nitrate

Barium
Sulphate

Ammonium
Sulphate

Numerical problem involving stoichiometry reactions in the preparation of salts

A student prepare copper(II) nitrate, Cu(NO3)2 by reacting copper(II) oxide, CuO with 100 cm3 of 1.5

mol dm-3 nitric acid, HNO3. Calculate the mass of copper(II) oxide, CuO needed to react
completely with the acid. [RAM : Cu,64 ; O,16]

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8.2 SYNTHESISING QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF SALTS

Colour of Salts
SOLID
White salt
Green
Light Green
Blue
Brown
Black
Yellow when hot
White when cold
Brown when hot
Yellow when cold

AQUEOUS
Colourless
Insoluble
Light Green
Blue
Brown
Insoluble
Insoluble

SOLID/METAL OXIDE

Insoluble

Confirmatory test for several gases

GAS
COLOUR
SMELL
EFFECT ON
DAMP
LITMUS
PAPER

REAGENT
USED

CONFIRMATORY TEST

Hydrogen

Colourless

Odourless

No effect

Lighted
splinter

Oxygen

Colourless

Odourless

No effect

Glowing
Splinter

Carbon
Dioxide

Colourless

Odourless

Blue red

Lime water

Ammonia

Colourless

Pungent
Smell

Red blue

Concentrated
HCl

Chlorine

Greenish
yellow
Brown

Pungent
Smell
Pungent
Smell
Pungent
Smell

Blue red
white
Blue red

Bring a lighted splinter to the

mouth of test tube. It gives
pop sound
Bring a glowing splinter to the
mouth of test tube. The
glowing splinter lights up
Bubble the gas produce into
lime water. Lime water will
turns chalky/milky/cloudy
Dip a glass rod into
concentrated HCl. White
fumes is released
-

Blue red

Turns acidified potassium

manganate (VII) solution from
purple to colourless

Pungent
Smell

Blue red

Acidified
potassium
manganate(VII)
solution
Concentrated
ammonia, NH3
aqueous

Nitrogen
Dioxide
Sulphur
dioxide

Hydrogen
chloride

Colourless

Colourless

Dip a glass rod into

Concentrated ammonia, NH3,
white fumes is released

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Action of heat on salts

a) Most compound which decomposes leave behind oxides
Salt
metal oxide
+
gas
(residue identification
(gas identification
refers to specific cations
refers to anion)
only)
b)
Types of gas
released

Can predict the

identify of anions
presence in salt

Colourless
residue

Can predict the

identify of cations
presence in salt

c) Test of carbon dioxide gas liberated when the carbonate salt is heated strongly

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d) Write down the chemical equation for the reactions that occur.
Carbonate Salt
Nitrate Salt
Is not decomposed by heat
Decompose into O2 gas and metal nitrate

Ion
K+
Na+
Ca2+

Decompose into metallic oxide and CO2

Decompose into metal oxide, NO2 and O2

2+

Mg

Al3+
Zn2+
Fe2+
Fe3+
Pb2+
Cu2+
Sulphate salts usually do not decompose
Chloride salts do not decompose except NH4Cl
NH4Cl (s)
NH3 (g) + HCl (g)
[sublimation]
Confirmatory test for anions
Unknown Salt Solution

+ dilute
acid
Gas turns
limewater
__________

+HNO3
+ AgNO3

+ H2SO4 dilute
+ FeSO4
+ H2SO4 conc

+ HNO3
+ Ba(NO3)2

__________
Precipitate
formed

__________
precipitate
formed

________
________
__

Confirmatory test for cations

a) The presence of cation can be detected by using two common bench alkalis namely
i) _____________________________ solution
ii) _____________________________ solution
b) Write the ionic equation for the reaction of cations and sodium hydroxide
The function of the alkalis is to produce a precipitate that is
Metal hydroxide
METAL + HYDROXIDE ION METAL HYDROXIDE
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Ion
Aluminium ion

Ionic equation for the reaction of cations and sodium hydroxide

Al3+ + 3OH- Al(OH)3

Lead (II) Ion

Zinc Ion
Magnesium Ion
Calcium Ion
Copper (II) Ion
Ferrum (II) Ion
Ferrum (III) Ion

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NH4+

Ca2+ , Fe2+ ,,Fe3+ ,

Cu2+ , Mg2+
No
Formation of
Precipitate precipitation &
Non-soluble in
excess

Zn2+ , Al3+, Pb2+

Formation of white
precipitate & then
soluble in excess

K2Fe(II)(CN)6
K2Fe(III)(CN)6
KSCN

+NaOH a little
and then in
excess

Fe2+
Light Blue
precipitate
Dark Blue
Precipitate
No Change

Fe2+

NH4+, Ca2+
No
Precipitate

Fe2+ ,,Fe3+, Al3+

Pb2+, Mg2+
Formation of
precipitation &
Not dissolve in
excess

SO42ClNO3-

Fe3+

Pb2+
,

Confirmatory test

precipitate is
formed & dissolve
in excess

ION TEST

Blue
precipitate
Brown
Solution
Red solution

NH4+

+ KI, yellow precipitate

occurs and dissolved in
hot water

Anion to be test:
CO32- SO42- Cl- NO3-

Examples
Anion
CO32-

Zn2+ Cu2+

Fe3+

+ HCl, white precipitate

occurs and dissolved in
hot water

CATIONS TEST
+NH4OH a little
and then in
excess

Test
+ HCl

+ HCl
+ BaCl2/ Ba(NO3)2
+ HNO3
+ Ag(NO3)2
+ H2SO4 (Dil)
+ FeSO4
+ H2SO4 (conc)

Observation
Gas form white
precipitate with lime
water
White precipitate is
formed
White precipitate is
formed
Brown ring is formed

+ Nessler reagent, brown

precipitate is form
ANION TEST
Pre-Test

Confirmatory test

Gas evolved from the

reaction with salt

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Test for cations

Cations
Al3+
Pb2+
Zn2+
Mg2+
Ca2+
Cu2+
Fe2+
Fe3+
NH4+

Test with a small amount of NaOH solution

until in excess
White precipitate soluble in excess. NaOH
solution
White precipitate, soluble in excess NaOH
solution
White precipitate, soluble in excess NaOH
solution
White precipitate, insoluble in excess NaOH
solution
White precipitate, insoluble in excess NaOH
solution
Blue precipitate, insoluble in excess NaOH
solution
Green precipitate, insoluble in excess NaOH
solution
Brown precipitate, insoluble in excess
NaOH solution
No precipitate

Test with a small amount of NH4OH until in

excess
White precipitate, insoluble in excess NH4OH
solution
White precipitate, insoluble in excess NH4OH
solution
White precipitate, soluble in excess NH4OH
solution
White precipitate, insoluble in excess NH4OH
solution
No precipitate
Blue precipitate, soluble in excess NH4OH
solution
Green precipitate, insoluble in excess NH4OH
solution
Brown precipitate, insoluble in excess NH4OH
solution
No precipitate

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