SCHEME OF SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE SALT

EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

I PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS
1.Colourless 1.Absence of Cu,Fe,Cr,Mn,Co,Ni
2.Blue 2.Cu may be present
1 Colour and Appearance is noted
3.Green 3.Presence of Fe,Ni etc
4.Pink 4.Presence of Co,Mn etc
1.Smell of ammonia 1.Presence of ammonium salt
2.Smell of vinegar 2.Presence of acetate
3.Smell of rotten egg 3.Presence of sulphide
2 Odour of the substance is noted 4.No characteristic odour 4.Absence of ammonium,acetate ,
sulphide etc

Solubility
1.Insoluble 1.Absence of Ammonium salts
a.Water
3 2.Soluble 2.Presence of Ammonium salt
b.Dil.HCl Completely soluble Absence of group I
c.Dil.Nitric acid Soluble and a ppt is formed with dil.HCl Presence of group I
1.Pale green 1.Presence of Ba
FLAME TEST: A little of the salt is made a paste with a few drops 2.Brick red 2.Presence of Ca
4 of conc.HCl and a part of the paste is shown into non luminous 3.Crimson 3.Presence of Sr
flame. 4.No characteristic colour 4.Absence of Ba,Ca,Sr
1.Blue ash
2.Green ash 1.Presence of Aluminium
Ash Test: Boil a little of the salt
3.Pink ash 2.Presence of Zinc
with conc. Nitric acid and a few
5 4.No characteristic coloured ash 3.Presence of Magnesium
drops of cobalt nitrate solution. 4.Absence of Aluminium, Zinc and
A filter paper is dipped in it is burned to ash Magnesium

II SYSTEMATIC TESTS FOR THE ACID RADICALS

1.Brisk effervescence with the liberation 1.Presence of carbonate
Add a pinch of the salt into a little of colurless and odourless gas.
1 dil.HCl take in a test tube 2.No brisk effervescence 2.Absence of carbonate
1.Smell of vinegar.
2.Smell of burning sulphur 1.Presence of acetate
3.Rotten egg smell 2.Presence of sulphite
4.Evolution of brown fumes 3.Presence of sulphide
Treat a little of the salt with dil. 5. Evolution of a gas which turns lime water milky
2 4.Presence of nitrite
Sulphuric acid 6.No. characheristic observation 5.Presence of oxalate
5.Absence of acetate, sulphite,
sulphide, nitrite and oxalate
 1.Evolution of colourless pungent smelling 1.Presence of Chloride
gas. Dense white fumes are produced
when a glass rod dipped in ammonia
Heat a pinch of the salt with a few is shown to the mouth of the test tube.
3 drops of conc.sulphuric acid in a 2.Reddish brown vapours 2.Presence of bromide
dry test tube 3.Violet vapours 3.Presence of iodide
4.No characteristic observation 4.Absence of chloride,bromide,iodide

1.Reddish brown gas is evolved.Solution 1.Presence of Nitrate

Heat a little of the salt with a few drops of conc.sulphuric acid turns green if Cu is used.
4 and a paper ball (or Cu turnings) in a dry test tube. 2.No reddish brown gas 2.Absence of Nitrate

1.White precipitate insoluble in dil.acids. 1.Presence of Sulphate

A little of the salt solution is treated with barium chlride 2.White amorphous ppt. soluble in dil.minural acids 2.Presence of Phosphate
5 solution 3.No white precipitate 3.Absence of sulphate,phosphate

III CONFIRMATORY TESTS FOR THE ACID RADICALS (ANIONS) IDENTIFIED

CARBONATE: Add a little of the salt Brisk effervescence with the liberation
1 Presence of carbonate is
into dil.HCl in a test tube of colurless and odourless gas.
confirmed.
Pass the above gas into clear lime water. Lime water turns milky
ACETATE: Treat the salt solution with deep red colouration. On boiling the solution,
2 Presence of acetate confirmed
ferrric chloride solution it decomposes to brownish red ppt.
SULPHITE: Treat the salt with dil.HCl and show a piece of filter
3 paper dipped in acidified potassium dichromate The filter paper turns into green colour Presence of sulphite confirmed
solution to the gas evolved
SULPHIDE : Treat the salt with dil.HCl and show a filter paper
4 The filter paper turns into black colour Presence of sulphide confirmed
dipped in lead acetate solution to the gas evolved.
SULPHATE: Treat the salt solution with lead acetate solution white precipitate Presence of sulphte confirmed
NITRITE: Dip a potassim iodide - starch paper moistened with
6 appearance of blue colour Presence of nitrite confirmed
dil.acid into the salt solution

NITRATE:Mix equal volumes of salt solution and freshly prepared

ferrous sulphate solution in a test tube. Add conc.sulphuric acid appearance of a brown ring the junction of
7 Presence of nitrate confirmed
along the sides of the test tube two liquids.
without shaking.

CHLORIDE: Treat the salt solutin with white curdy precipitate soluble in
8 Presence of chloride confirmed
silver nitrate solution. excess ammonium hydroxide solution
BROMIDE:Treat the salt solution with pale yellow precipitate sparingly soluble in
9 Presence of bromide confirmed
siver nitrate solution ammonium hydroxide solution
10 IODIDE:Treat the salt solution with curdy yellow precipitate insoluble in Presence of iodide confirmed
siver nitrate solution ammonium hydroxide solution

11 PHOSPHATE: Treat the salt solution with silver nitrate solution yellow ppt soluble in dil.nitric acid Presence of phosphate confirmed

12 OXALATE: Warm the salt solution with dil.sulphuric acid and add decolourisation of potassium permanganate Presence of oxalate confirmed.
a drop of potassium permanganate solution. solution
III SYSTEMATIC TESTS FOR THE BASIC RADICALS (CATIONS)
TEST FOR AMMONIUM ION
Smell of ammonia gas. Dense white fumes are produced
Heat the salt with concentrated NaOH when a glass rod dipped in conc.HCl is shown to the Presence of ammonium
solution in a dry test tube mouth of the test tube.
Confirmatory test for ammonium
Heat a little of the salt with a conc.NaOH solution in a dry test
tube and show a filter paper dipped in Nessler's reagent at the Appearance of brown colour on the filter paper Presence of ammonium confirmed
mouth or the test tube
I TEST FOR GROUP I CATIONS
1.A white precipitate 1.Presece of group I cations (lead)
Add a little dil.HCl into the salt solution. 2.No white precipitate 2.Absence of group I cations
Perform the following test only if the above test is positive

Treat a little of the salt solution with KI appearance of yellow precipitate which dissolves on
1 Presence of lead (II) ion confirmed
solution boiling and re apperas as golden spangles on cooling

II TEST FOR GROUP II CATIONS

1.Presence of group II cations
To a little of the salt solution, add dil.HCl 1.black precipitate (Copper)
and pass hydrogen sulphide gas 2.No. black precipitate 2.Absence of group II cations
Perform the following test only if the above test is positive

1 Treat a little salt solution with potassium ferrocyanide solution reddish brown ppt. Presence of copper (II) ion confimed

III TEST FOR GROUP III CATIONS

To a little of the salt solution, add solid ammonium chloride, 1. white gelatinous precipitate 1.Presence of group III cations
dissove it and add excess ammonium hydroxide solution 2. No white gelatinous ppt. 2.Absence of group III cations
Perform the following test only if the above test is positive
1.appearance of a white ppt.which dissolves in excess 1.Presence of Aluminium (III) ion
Add a little NaOH solution into the salt confirmed
1 NaOH solution
solution 2.Presence of Iron (III) ion is
2.Reddish brown ppt.
confirmed
Presence of Aluminium (III) ion
2 Perform ash test Blue ash confirmed
 Add potassium ferrocyanide solution into Presence of Iron (III) ion
3 intense blue ppt
a little of the salt solution confirmed
IV TEST FOR GROUP IV CATIONS
To a little of the salt solution, add solid ammonium chloride, 1. dull white ppt 1.Presence of group IV cations
dissove it, add excess ammonium hydroxide solution 2.No. ppt 2.Absence of group IV cations
and pass hydrogen sulphide gas
Perform the following test only if the above test is positive
A white precipitate is formed which changes to brown on Presence of Mn (II) ion confirmed
1 Treat the salt solution with NaOH solution. adding two drops of hydrogen peroxide.

A green ppt. is formed which produces deep blue

2 Treat the salt solution with NaOH solution. Presence of Ni (II) ion confirmed
solution with excess ammonium hydroxide solution.

3 Add potassium ferrocyanide solution into the salt solution White ppt. soluble in excess NaOH solution. Presence of Zn (II) ion confirmed
4 Perform ash test Green ash Presence of Zn (II) ion confirmed
A pink ppt. is formed which changes to brownish
5 Treat the salt solution with NaOH solution. Presence of Co (II) ion confirmed
black on adding two drops of hydrogen peroxide.
V TEST FOR GROUP V CATIONS
To a little of the salt solution, add solid ammonium chloride, 1. White precipitate 1. Presence of group V cations
dissove it, add excess ammonium hydroxide solution 2. No white precipitate 2. Absence of group V cations
and ammonium carbonate solution.
Perform the following test only if the above test is positive
1. yellow ppt. insoluble in water and dil.acetic acid 1. Presence of Ba (II) ion confirmed
Add potassium chromate solution to the
1 2. yellow ppt. soluble in dil.acetic acid 2. Presence of Sr (II) ion confirmed
salt solution 3. No. ppt. is formed 3. Presence of Ca (II) ion confirmed

1. pale green colour imparted to the flame. 1. Presence of Ba (II) ion confirmed
2 Perform flame test 2. crimson colour imparted to the flame. 2. Presence of Sr (II) ion confirmed
3. Brick red colour imparted to the flame. 3. Presence of Ca (II) ion confirmed
3 Add ammonium oxalate solution to the salt solution white ppt. insolutble in water Presence of Ca (II) ion confirmed
VI TEST FOR GROUP VI CATIONS
To a little of the salt solution, add di sodium hydrogen phosphate A white flocculant ppt. Presence of Mg (II) ion confirmed
solution.
To a little of the salt solution add NaOH solution followed by A blue ppt. Presence of Mg (II) ion confirmed
Magneson reagent