QUALITATIVE INORGANIC ANALYSIS

Preliminary Examination :

EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE

1. Noted colour and nature Colourless Absence of coloured salts like Fe,
of the salt. crystalline. Cu, Ni, Mn etc.

2. Take a little of the salt and Insoluble. Insoluble salts like sulphates may
check its solubility in water. be present.

Soluble Soluble salts like carbonates may

be present.

3. Take a little of the salt in a Evolution of a Carbonate salt may be present.

dry test tube and heat it colourless, odourless
gently. gas turning lime water
milky.

Evolution of a reddish
brown gas. The salt may contain nitrate or
bromide.

Analysis of the Acid Radical (Anion):-

1.Dil. HCl Test: Effervescence of Carbonate may be present.

A little of the salt is treated
Colourless gas
with dil. HCl.
2.Dil. H2SO4 Test: Smell of vinegar Acetate may be present.
A little of the salt is treated
with dil. H2SO4
3. Con. H2SO4 Test: 1. Colourless gas with Chloride may be present.
A little salt is treated with a few pungent smell giving
drops of Con. H2SO4 and white fumes with
warmed. NH4OH.

4. MnO2, Con. H2SO4 Test: Greenish yellow gas Chloride may be present.
A pinch of the salt is heated with pungent smell.
with a little MnO2 and Con.
H2SO4 and warmed.

5. Con. H2SO4 , Paper ball Brown vapours Nitrate may be present

test: evolve.
Heat a little of the salt with
Con. H2SO4 and paper ball ( or
Cu turnings )
6.Test for sulphate White precipitate
Sulphate may be present.
To a little of the salt Insoluble in dil. HCl
solution add Barium
Chloride solution after
acidifying with dil HCl.

CONFIRMATORY TESTS
I. Carbonate (CO32-) Effervescence of
1. To a little of the salt add Presence of Carbonate
colourless gas
confirmed.
dil.HCl.

2.Pass the above gas through Lime water turns milky. Due to formation of Calcium
lime water. carbonate

II. Test for Sulphate: White precipitate soluble in Presence of Sulphate

1. Acidify a little of the salt with CH3COONH4 sol. confirmed.
dil. acetic acid and add lead
acetate solution. Purple streaks Presence of Sulphate
confirmed.
2. A paste of salt in BaCl2
mixed with sodium carbonate is
apply on a match stick and
heated in a flame. Drop the
fused mass into sodium
nitroprusside solution taken in a
test tube

III.Test for Nitrate: A Brown ring is formed at Presence of Nitrate

1. Brown Ring Test the junction between acid confirmed.
Add a small quantity of quantity and solution
of freshly prepared FeSO4
solution to the salt. Cool and
add Con. H2SO4 along the sides
of the test tube

2. Diphenylamine test:
Take about 1 ml of saple A blue ring is formed at the Presence of Nitrate
solution in a test tube and pour contact of two liquids confirmed.
diphenylamine reagent carefully
down the side of the test tube

IV.Test for Chloride

(Cl-)
1. A little of the solution is
White curdy precipitate Chloride confirmed
acidified with dil. HNO3 and
soluble in NH4OH
then a little AgNO3 is added.

2. Chromyl Chloride test:

A small quantity of the mixture
Red vapours evolved Presence of Chloride
is heated with K2Cr2O7 and Con.
which turns water yellow. confirmed
H2SO4 and warmed.
Add lead acetate solution to
Yellow precipitate.
the yellow solution obtained
above.
 V. Test for Acetate:
1. A little of the salt Red precipitate Presence of acetate
sol. Is boiled with confirmed.

FeCl3 solution

3. Mix a pinch of the A characteristic smell of Presence of acetate

salt with oxalic vinegar confirmed.

acidnand moisten it
with water and rub
between the fingers

Analysis of Basic Radicals (cations):- (Note: Before group

analysis, test for NH4+ ion)

1. Treat a little of the salt with Smell of ammonia on adding NaOH NH4+ radical
NaOH solution and warm solution. present.
The gas evolved gives dense whiter fumes
with HCl.

2.Nessler’s Test:
The salt is first warmed with Reddish Brown precipitate formed with
NH4+ radical
NaOH solution and then treated Nessler’s reagent.
confirmed
with Nessler’s Reagent
 GROUP ANALYSIS

1. Treat a little of the salt White precipitate. Presence of Group I (Pb2+)

solution add dil. HCl Group I present

2. Pass H2S gas through the Group II Present

Presence of Cu2+
above test tube. Black Precipitate

3. To a fresh solution add solid Group III present Al3+ may be present
+
NH4Cl upto saturation followed by White gelatinous
NH4OH sol precipitate

4. Pass H2S gas through the Group IV present

Zn2+ present.
above test tube. Dirty white
precipitate Flesh or
Buff coloured
precipitate

5. To a fresh solution add solid Group V present

Ba2+,Ca2+ or Sr2+ may be
NH4Cl , NH4OH sol. followed by White precipitate.
present.
(NH4)2CO3 sol.

6. Add NH4Cl, NH4OH and (NH4)3 Group VI present White Mg2+ present.
PO4 solutions and rub the sides of precipitate +

the test tubes

 Analysis of Group – I

1. To the little of the salt Yellow precipitate which Presence of Pb2+ confirmed.
solution, add KI solution. Boil dissolves on boiling and
and cool. separates as golden
spangles on cooling.
2. To another part add Yellow precipitate is Presence of Pb2+
K2CrO4 solution. formed. confirmed.

Analysis of Group – II

1. To the little of the salt Blue precipitate Cu2+ confirmed.

solution add NH4OH in excess. dissolving in excess to
give deep blue solution.
2. To another part add
Chocolate brown Presence of Cu2+ confirmed.
K4[Fe (CN)6] solution. precipitate.
 Analysis of Group – III

1. Add dil HCl followed by two Lake blue precipitate Presence of Al3+
drops of blue litmus solution and
then NH4OH is added.
2. Ash Test:
Solution is treated with one drop of Blue ash. Presence of Al3+ confirmed.
Con. HNO3 , Cobalt Nitrate is added
. A filter paper is dipped in it and
burnt.

Analysis of Group – IV

Zinc:
1. To the salt solution, add White precipitate
Presence of Zn2+
NaOH dropwise to excess. dissolving in excess
NaOH.
To the second part add
White or bluish
K4[Fe (CN)6] solution
white precipitate.

2. Ash test : Solution is treated

with one drop of Con. HNO3 ,
Green Ash
Cobalt Nitrate is added . A filter Presence of Zn2+ Confirmed
paper is dipped in it and burnt.
 Analysis of Group –V

1. To a little of the salt Yellow precipitate. Ba2+ present.

solution add potassium
chromate solution.

To another part add Sr2+ present

ammonium sulphate White precipitate
solution

To another part add

ammonium oxalate Ca2+ present
solution. White precipitate

2. Flame test:
Make a paste of the precipitate
Grassy Green Ba2+ Confirmed.
with Con.HCl and perform Flame

Crimson Red Sr2+ Confirmed.

Brick Red Ca2+ Confirmed

 Analysis of Group –VI

Test for Mg2+:

1. To a little of the salt

solution add Magneson
reagent followed by dil.NaOH Blue precipitate Mg2+ confirmed.
solution

2. Ash Test
Solution is treated with
one drop of Con. HNO3 , Cobalt Presence of Mg2+ confirmed.
Pink Ash
Nitrate is added . A filter paper is
dipped in it and burnt.