Question Bank of Chemistry Practicals (CY111)

Estimation of hardness of water

1. Define hardness of water.
2. What do you mean by temporary hardness, permanent hardness and total hardness of water?
3. What is the unit of hardness? Why is hardness expressed in terms of CaCO3?
4. A sample of water contains 12 mg/L of MgCl2, 15 mg/L of CaCl2, 20 mg/L of Ca(HCO3)2 and 5 mg/L of
NaCl. Calculate the temporary, permanent and total hardness in terms of CaCO3. Express the results in
ppm. Calculate how many milli-moles of EDTA Na2 are required for complete complexation.
5. How is temporary hardness removed from water? What is its principle?
6. What is EDTA? Write its structure. Why EDTA Na2 salt is preferred to EDTA for hardness estimation?
7. Name a metal ion indicator. Give its structure.
8. What is the principle of color change of EBT in EDTA against hard water titration?
9. 100 mg of pure CaCO3 is dissolved in 100 mL of water using appropriate reagents. Calculate its
hardness.
10. Show the ligating atoms in EDTA with the help of its structure.
11. What is buffer solution? Give an example to basic buffer. How is its pH related to pK b of the weak base
used in it?
12. What is the role of basic buffer in estimation of hardness by EDTA method?
13. Justify: The calculation that led to hardness estimation makes use of molarity instead of normality.
14. Justify: All the glasswares are to be thoroughly washed with distilled water before hardness estimation.
15. What are the reagents used for the preparation of CaCO3 solution?
16. Write the sequence reactions that occur during preparation of standard hard water. Why is minimum
quantity of dil HCl added towards the end?
17. In an experiment, 25 mL of a sample of hard water consumes 20 mL of 0.02 M EDTA Na2 solution.
Calculate total hardness of water sample.
18. Justify: EDTA-metal ion complex is more stable than EBT-metal ion complex.
19. Why does it appear blue at the equivalence point?
20. In an experiment, a sample of hard water with hardness 2000 ppm consumes 20 mL of EDTA Na2
solution. Calculate the strength of EDTANa2 in molarity.
21. Justify: EDTA is not a primary standard.
22. Justify: CaCO3 is a primary standard.
23. Justify: Phenolphthalein cannot be used as an indicator in hardness estimation.
24. How is temporary hardness estimated by EDTA method? Write only the principle.
25. How many mL of 0.02 M EDTA Na2 solution will consume for 25 mL of 2000 ppm hard water for
complete reaction?
26. Calculate the hardness of the sample water which consumes 10 mL of 0.02 M EDTA solution for
complete reaction. (20 ppm)
27. Hardness of a sample of water was found to be 200 ppm and 150 ppm before and after boiling aliquot.
Calculate the temporary hardness of it.
28. How many grams of disodium salt of EDTA dihydrate are to be dissolved in 250 mL of its solution in
order to prepare 0.025 M solution? (Atomic mass of sodium: 23) (Ans: 2.326 g)
29. In an experiment, 25 mL of a sample of hard water consumes 20 mL of 0.02 M EDTA Na2 solution. The
same volume of water sample after boiling and subsequent filtration consumes 18 mL of EDTA Na2
solution. Calculate temporary hardness of it. (160 ppm)
30. EDTA is not a primary standard. Justify.
Estimation of copper in brass
1. What is brass? Give its approximate composition.
2. What happens when brass is treated with conc. HNO3?
3. Give the reaction of sodium thiosulphate with iodine and hence calculate its equivalent mass.
4. How is dissolved oxides of nitrogen of brass solution destroyed? Explain with suitable equation.
5. What happens when brass solution is treated with NH4OH followed by acetic acid? Why is excess of
acetic acid added before titration?
6. Why is excess of nitric acid to be removed in the estimation of brass? Write the reaction between NOx
and urea.
7. When brass solution is mixed with NH4OH, a sky blue solution is obtained. What is it?
8. Justify: Cu+ is more stable than Cu++ while Cu++ is colored but not Cu+.
9. What is the role of KI in the estimation of Cu in brass?
10. Calculate the equivalent weight of copper with the help of an equation.
11. Why is conc. HCl used instead of dil H2SO4 in the standardization of given sodium thiosulphate solution?
12. Give the reactions involved during standardization of given sodium thiosulphate reaction.
13. What is starch? Give its molecular formula. What is the interaction between starch and iodine.
14. Write the theory of starch indicator in iodometric titrations.
15. Why is starch added towards the end of titration?
16. In Cu estimation, the color change occurs from violet to blue. These colors are due to what?
17. Exactly 0.6 g of a brass sample was dissolved in nitric acid and treated with urea and finally made up to
250 mL. 25 mL of this solution after neutralization with NH4OH and acidification with HAc was treated
with excess of KI solution. If it consumes 20 mL of 0.048 N sodium thiosulphate solution, what is % of
Cu in brass?
18. An impure sample of copper piece weighing 0.07 g was dissolved in acid and the resulting solution was
treated with excess of KI solution and liberated iodine was titrated against 0.05N sodium thiosulphate. If
the volume consumed for complete reaction is 20 mL, what is its % purity?
19. Justify: The liberated iodine is to be titrated soon after addition of KI solution.
20. Justify: Excess nitric acid is to be removed before brass solution is titrated against sodium thiosulphate.
21. Justify: Zn salt does not reaction with KI, but Cu salt reacts.
22. Write any one use of brass.
23. When brass piece is exposed to moist air, it turns to green. What is it?
24. Justify: Iodometric estimation requires thorough shaking of contents of conical flask during titration.
25. What is the color of (i) iodine, (ii) starch and (iii) iodine-starch complex?
Estimation of manganese dioxide in pyrolusite
1. What is pyrolusite? Give its chemical composition.
2. Justify: Pyrolusite is an oxidizing agent.
3. Calculate equivalent weight of MnO2 using an appropriate equation.
4. Give the reaction between oxalic acid and acidified KMnO4. Balance the equation by ON method.
5. Obtain the equivalent weights of oxalic acid as well as potassium permanganate.
6. What is autocatalysis? Give an example.
7. Name the indicator used in permanganometric titrations. Explain the theory of indicator.
8. Justify: During the titration of oxalic acid verses KMnO4, the titrant should not be added rapidly.
9. Justify: The upper meniscus is considered while taking burette reading if KMnO4 is used.
10. Justify: Hot oxalic acid solution, but not cold is used for titration of it against KMnO4.
11. Justify: Dilute sulphuric acid is added to oxalic acid before its titration against KMnO4.
12. While preparing pyrolusite solution, 4N sulphuric acid is used instead of 2N.
13. How do you ensure that MnO2 in pyrolusite has completely reacted with sulphuric acid?
14. Is KMnO4 a primary standard? Justify. (It contains MnO2 as impurity. Why?)
15. Is oxalic acid a primary standard? Justify.
16. In an experiment, 0.444 g of a sample of pyrolusite was heated with 25 mL of approximately 0.5 N
oxalic acid and the solution after cooling was made up to 250 mL. If 25 mL of this solution consumes 10
mL of 0.044 N KMnO4, calculate the % of MnO2 in the ore. In a separate blank experiment, 25 mL of
 given oxalic solution was diluted to 250 ml and 25 mL of this solution consumed 22.5 mL of standard
KMnO4.
17. In an experiment, 0.05 g of a sample of pyrolusite was heated with 2.5 mL of 0.5N oxalic acid in
presence of a mineral acid and the left over oxalic acid when titrated with 0.05N KMnO4 consumed 12.5
mL of it. Calculate the % of MnO2 of the ore.
18. How is Mn obtained from MnO2 ore?
19. Give any one use of Mn.
20. What is the oxidation no. of Mn in KMnO4?
21. How many grams of oxalic acid are to be dissolved in 250 mL its solution for the preparation of 0.05 N
as well as 0.05 M solution of it.
22. What do you mean by blank experiment? Why is it needed?
23. What do you mean by back titration method? When is such technique used for volumetric analysis?
24. Justify: The hot ore solution is to be cooled to room temperature before it is diluted to 250 mL in the
standard flask.
25. In an experiment, 0.44 g of a pyrolusite sample was digested with 25 mL of approximately 0.5 N oxalic acid in
presence of 50 mL of 4 N sulphuric acid. The excess of oxalic acid when titrated with 0.05 N KMnO 4 consumed
120 mL of 0.05 N KMnO4. In the blank experiment, 25 mL of oxalic acid consumed 220 mL of 0.05 N KMnO4
solution. Calculate the percentage of MnO2 in the pyrolusite.
Estimation of iron in haematite
1. What is haematite? Give its composition.
2. Write the reaction when haematite is digested with conc. HCl.
3. Justify: Haematite solution cannot be titrated against potassium dichromate solution directly.
4. Justify: SnCl2 is a reducing agent.
5. How is ferric chloride reduced to ferrous chloride? Give the reaction.
6. How is excess stannous chloride removed when it is added surplus to ensure the completion of the
reduction?
7. What is the role of addition of HgCl2 solution in the experiment? Give reaction.
8. Name the chemical composition of silky white ppt.
9. Justify: On addition of HgCl2, if it forms a black precipitate, the solution is to be discarded.
10. Why it forms black precipitate instead of silky white precipitate, when HgCl2 is added?
11. Give reason: If there is no silky white precipitate on addition of HgCl2, the solution is to be discarded.
12. Justify: Diphenyl amine is a redox indicator.
13. Explain the theory of diphenyl amine indicator in Mohr’s salt verses K2Cr2O7 titration.
14. What is the composition of acid mixture? What is the role of each component of it?
15. Write the formula of Mohr’s salt. What is its molecular weight?
16. Justify: Mohr’s salt is preferred to FeSO4 in standardization of K2Cr2O7.
17. Why is sulphuric acid added while preparing Mohr’s salt solution?
18. Why is sulphuric acid added to Mohr’s salt before its titration against K2Cr2O7 solution?
19. Distinguish between reduction potential and formal potential of any electrode system.
20. Is Mohr’s salt a double salt or complex salt? How do you confirm?
21. Why is FeCl3 containing HCl solution to be hot while adding SnCl2? Why is it to be cooled before
addition of HgCl2?
22. Why is HgCl2 solution added in a single stretch?
23. What is the role of adding conc. HCl to FeCl3 solution before reduction?
24. Write the reaction taking place during titration of acidified ferrous ions against K2Cr2O7 solution.
25. Write the reaction taking place during titration of acidified Mohr’s salt solution against K2Cr2O7 solution.
26. What is the equivalent weight of iron? How is it obtained?
27. In an experiment, 125 mg of a Haematite sample was digested with conc. HCl and the resulting clear
solution was titrated against 0.05 N K2Cr2O7 after complete reduction with SnCl2. The volume
consumed was found to be 15.0 mL. Calculate the % of Fe2O3 as well as % of Fe in the ore sample.
Estimation of nitrogen in a fertilizer
1. Give any two examples of ammonium fertilizer. Write their formula.
2. Name the indicator used in the estimation.
3. What is an acid-base indicator? Give an example.
4. Phenolphthalein cannot be used in the titration of H2SO4 against ammonium hydroxide. Justify.
5. Can we use methyl orange in the estimation? If no, justify your answer. If yes, which indicator is
preferred and why?
6. What is the equivalent weight of nitrogen? Show the calculation steps giving the necessary equation.
7. The weight of fertilizer taken for the analysis must be less than 1g in the experiment. Justify.
8. How do confirm the completion of the reaction between ammonium salt and NaOH?
9. Why is funnel kept during heating?
10. What do you mean by transferring quantitatively?
11. Is 1N H2SO4 same as 1 M H2SO4? Give their relationship.
12. Can we use sodium carbonate solution instead of NaOH in the estimation? Justify your answer.
13. Can we estimate nitrogen in urea using the same method? What is the reaction between urea and NaOH?
14. Cane estimate super phosphate of lime by the same method? Why?
15. In an experiment, 0.568 g of a ammonium fertilizer was boiled with 25 ml of exactly 1 N NaOH till the
reaction completely stops. If this solution consumes 150 ml of 0.1N HCl for complete neutralization,
calculate the % ammonia in the given fertilizer.

16. Explain the theory of phenolphthalein indicator.

17. Can we use standard HCl instead of H2SO4 titration?
18. How is 0.1 N NaOH prepared? Explain.
19. NaOH and H2SO4 are strong electrolytes. Justify.
Estimation of HCl conductometrically
1. What are conductometric titrations? Mention main types of conductometric titrations.
2. What is conductance? What is conductivity? Write their units.
3. Distinguish between strong and weak acids.
4. Justify: During conductometric titrations, initially the conductance decreases, but after the equivalence
point conductance increases sharply during titration of HCl vs NaOH.
5. Justify: Near the equivalence point, there will be no linearity in the variation of conductance.
6. Draw the theoretical graph of conductance against volume of KOH during HCl vs KOH titration.
7. Draw the theoretical graph of conductance against volume of NaOH during HAc vs. NaOH titration.
8. Draw the theoretical graph of conductance against volume of NH4OH during HCl vs. NH4OH titration.
9. Draw the theoretical graph of conductance against volume of NH4OH during HAc vs NH4OH titration.
10. What are the types of curves obtained when (i) a strong acid is titrated against strong base (ii) a strong
acid is titrated against weak base and (iii) a weak base is titrated against a weak base, conductometrically.
11. Justify: The concentration of NaOH used is roughly ten times higher than HCl in the conduct. titration.
12. How is conductance related to conductivity?
13. What is cell constant?
14. What is molar conductivity?
15. What is the principle involved in conductometer?
16. Define equivalent conductivity and molar conductivity.
17. Compare the slopes of decreasing trend and increasing trend of variation of conductance with volume.
18. Justify: Conductometric titrations are not suitable for highly exothermic reactions.
Estimation of copper by colorometry
1. What is meant by colorimetry?
2. State Beer-Lambert’s law.
3. Mention any two deviations of the law.
4. Write the mathematical form of Beer-Lambert’s law.
5. What is absorbance / optical density? What is its unit? What is transmittance?
6. Calculate the optical density of a solution whose % transmission is 50.
7. How is cuprammonium sulphate is prepared?
8. What is the primary valency and secondary valency of copper in cuprammonium sulphate?
9. Write the structure of cuprammonium sulphate complex.
10. Why is cuprammonium sulphate is dark blue? Which theory is useful in explaining its color?
11. What is the wavelength of the filter used in the colorimeter?
12. Justify why a particular wavelength filter is used in the measurement of optical density.
13. What is calibration graph? What is its use?
14. Exactly 1.025 g of CuSO45H2O was dissolved in 250 mL of its solution. What is the concentration of
copper in ppm?
15. Justify: The calibration graph passes through origin.
16. Why is little sulphuric acid added while preparing copper sulphate solution?
17. What is the principle of colorimeter?
18. A solution of an analyte shows 50% transmission. What is its absorbance?
19. What is molar absorption constant? What is its unit?
20. Why can’t we directly use prepared copper sulphate, instead of copper complex for colorimetric
estimation?
Estimation of Mohr’s salt by potentiometry
1. Define potentiometric titration.
2. What is a potentiometer? What is its application?
3. What is indicator electrode? How is it constructed?
4. What is reference electrode? What is calomel electrode? How is it constructed?
5. What is meant by first derivative curve? How is it obtained? What is its advantage?
6. Write Nernst’s equation for oxidation and reduction processes during redox titration.
7. Why does the emf suddenly jump during redox titration? Explain.
8. Why is little dilute sulphuric acid added during Mohr’s salt solution?
9. How is end point obtained in potentiometric titrations?
10. Draw a typical curve of E verses V obtained during the potentiometric titration.
11. Justify: Platinum electrode is to be activated now and then, by dipping in nitric acid.
12. Mention any two precautions to be taken in potentiometric titrations.
13. Justify: Potentiometric method is better than indicator method for estimation of iron.
14. In what way pH meter is different from potentiometer?
15. The plot of observed emf verses volume added gives approximate titre value. Why?
Determination of % ethanol by refracometry
1. What is a refractometer?
2. What is its working principle? Why does it show semi dark and bright circle in the view of eyepiece?
3. Abbe’s refractometer’s working principle is based on critical angle. Justify.
4. How is prism of the refractometer cleaned? Why is acetone used?
5. What is the refractive index of pure water and pure ethanol?
6. Can we use this method to determine the % of chloroform in chloroform water mixture? Why?
7. Define refractive index. What is the effect of impurity on the refractive index?
8. Why is ethanol miscible with water?
9. Why is prism surface dried before placing the drop of experimental solution?
10. Justify: The experiment gives fairly good results for lower concentrations of ethanol, but not for higher
concentrations.
11. Justify: The graph of % composition against refractive index is a straight line and it does not pass
through origin.
12. Why is acetone used for cleaning the prism? Why not chloroform or carbon tetrachloride?
13. Why should the sample refractive index should be higher than that of the measuring prism?
14. Justify: The measurement of refractive index is to be done at constant temperature using monochromatic
light.

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