INORGANIC QUALITATIVE

ANALYSIS
EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE
PRELIMINARY
ANALYSIS
1. Noted Colour and
a) Colourless crystals Absence of Cu2+¿ ¿,
appearance of salt Fe , Mn ,etc.
2 +¿¿ 2+¿¿

b)Colourless
amorphous Maybe carbonates

2. Noted the solubility in a) Soluble May be halides,

water Nitrates, sulphates

b)Insoluble May be carbonates

3. Flame test
A little of salt is a) Pale green flame Presence of Ba2+¿¿
made into a paste
with conc. HCl. A b) Brick red flame Presence of Ca2+¿ ¿
little of this paste
is taken on a glass c)Crimson red flame Presence of Sr 2+¿¿
rod and shown to
the non-luminous
Bunsen flame.
4. Ash Test
A little of the salt a) A blue tinted ash Presence of Al3 +¿¿
is mixed with a few
drops of conc. HNO3
and cobalt nitrate
solution. A multi- b) A green tinted ash Presence of Zn2+¿¿
folded filter paper is
soaked in this and c)A pink tinted ash Presence of Mg 2+¿¿
 burnt to ash.
Tests for Acid
Radicals (Anions)

1. a) Test for
carbonate(CO 2−¿¿
3

Brisk effervescence Presence of CO 2−¿¿

3

A little of the salt with liberation of a

is treated with colourless, odourless
dil. HCl gas

Confirmatory test
for CO 2−¿¿
3

A little of the salt is Lime water turns Presence of CO 2−¿¿

3

treated with dil. HCl milky confirmed

and the evolved gas
is passed through
limewater
2. a) Test for
Chloride ¿)

A little of the salt a) A colourless gas Presence of Cl−¿¿

is treated with a few giving dense
drops of conc. white fumes with
H 2 SO4 ammonia solution
on a glass rod
Confirmatory test
for chloride

1mL of salt solution a) A curdy white Presence of Cl−¿¿

is acidified with dil. precipitate confirmed
HNO3 and a few completely soluble
drops of AgNO3 in NH 4OH
solution is added
3. a) Test for Nitrates
 −¿¿
( NO 3 )

A little of the salt is Reddish brown fumes Presence of NO 3

−¿¿

Treated with conc. and the solution turns

H 2 SO4 and warmed. greenish-blue
To this 1-2 pieces of
copper turnings are
added confirmatory
−¿¿
for NO 3

Confirmatory test for

−¿¿
NO 3 (Brown ring test)

To a little of the A brown ring at the Presence of NO 3

−¿¿

aqueous solution of junction of two liquids confirmed

the
salt a few drops of dil.
H 2 SO4 followed by a
few drops of freshly
prepared FeSO 4
solution are added.
Conc. H 2 SO4 is added
along the sides of the
test tube slowly by
slightly tilting it.

4. a) Test for Sulphate

( SO2−¿
4
¿
)

To a little of the Presenc

aqueous solution of A thick white e of SO 2−¿ ¿
4

the precipitate
salt a few drops of dil.
HCl and BaCl2 solutions
are added.
 Confirmatory Test for
2−¿ ¿
SO 4
Presence of SO2−¿
4
¿

To a little of the A thick white confirmed

aqueous solution of precipitate
the
salt, 1-2 drops of
acetic acid and lead
acetate solutions are
added.

Test for Basic

Radicals (Cations)

a) Detection of
Groups
1.
Test for Group Zero
+¿¿
( NH 4 - Ammonium)
A pungent smelling gas
+¿¿
To a small amount of giving dense white Presence of NH 4
the salt add NaOH fumes with conc. HCl
solution and shake taken on a glass rod
(warm).

Confirmatory test for

+¿¿
NH 4
A chocolate brown
To the above solution precipitate is formed +¿¿
Presence of NH 4
add Nessler’s reagent confirmed
drop wise
*Original salt solution is prepared by dissolving the salt in
water. If the salt is insoluble, make the solution in dilute
HCl.

2. Test for group I

( Pb2+¿−Lead ¿

To a little of the salt A thick white Presence of group I (

solution dil. HCl is precipitate Pb
2+¿ ¿

added. (dissolving on warming

with water).
Confirmatory test for
group I ( Pb2+¿ ¿

Divide salt solution into

two parts:
1. Presence of Pb2+¿ ¿
To one part add K 2 CrO 4 A yellow precipitate confirmed
2. (Potassium chromate)
solution Presence of Pb2+¿ ¿
To the second part add A yellow precipitate confirmed
KI
(Potassium Iodide)
solution
3. Test for group II
(Cd 2+¿−Cadmium ¿

To a little of the salt

a) A yellow precipitate Presence of Cd 2+¿¿
solution, dil. HCl is
added
and H 2S gas is passed.

Confirmatory Test for

Group II (Cd 2+¿¿)
1. A white precipitate Presence of Cd 2+¿¿
 To a little of the salt confirmed
solution NaOH solution
2. is added. A bluish white or Presence of Cd 2+¿¿
To a little of the salt greenish white confirmed
solution potassium precipitate
ferrocyanide
K 4 [Fe(CN )6] is added

4.
Test for group III
( Al3 +¿− Aluminium ¿)

To a little of the salt A gelatinous white Presence of group

solution add excess Precipitate III ( Al3 +¿¿)
NH 4Cl solution and
NH 4OH (Ammonia
solution)

Confirmatory test for

Group III ¿ ¿
1.
The gelatinous white A blue lake is formed on Presence of Al3 +¿¿
Precipitate is dissolved the surface of the confirmed
in minimum quantity of solution
dil. HCl. A drop of blue
litmus solution is added
followed by NH 4OH.
2. Blue tinted ash Presence of Al3 +¿¿
Ash test performed confirmed

( Zn2+¿¿ - Zinc)
5. Test for group IV

To a little of salt solution

A dull white precipitate Presence of group IV
add excess NH 4Cl
( Zn2+¿¿ )
solution, NH 4OH and H 2 S
gas is passed.
 Confirmatory test for
group IV ( Zn2+¿¿
1.
To a little of the salt A white precipitate Presence of Zn2+¿¿
solution dil. NaOH is soluble in excess of confirmed
added. NaOH
2. Presence of Zn2+¿¿
To a little of the salt A bluish white or confirmed
solution K 4 [Fe(CN )6] is greenish white
added. precipitate Presence of Zn2+¿¿
3. confirmed
Ash test performed Green tinted ash

6. Test for group V

[ Ba2+¿¿ (Barium) , Sr 2+¿¿
(Strontium), Ca2+¿ ¿
(Calcium)]

To a little of salt solution

add excess NH 4Cl A thick white Presence of group V
2+¿ ¿

precipitate ( Ba2+¿, Sr )
2+ ¿,Ca ¿
¿
solution, NH 4OH and
(NH ¿¿ 4)2 CO3 ¿ are
added
in sequence.

Analysis for group V

 Confirmatory test for
2+¿¿
Ba
1. To the first part add Presence of Ba2+¿¿
K 2 CrO 4 (Potassium A yellow precipitate confirmed
Chromate) solution.
2. Presence of Ba2+¿¿
Flame test performed Green coloured flame confirmed

Confirmatory test for

1. 2+¿¿
Sr
Presence of Sr 2+¿¿
To the second part add A scanty white
confirmed
(NH ¿¿ 4)2 SO 4 ¿ precipitate
2. (Ammonium Presence of Sr 2+¿¿
sulphate) solution
confirmed
Crimson red flame
Flame test performed

1.
Confirmatory test for Presence of Ca2+¿ ¿
2+¿ ¿
Ca A thick white confirmed
To the third part add precipitate
(NH ¿¿ 4)2 C2 O4 ¿
2. Presence of Ca2+¿ ¿
(Ammonium oxalate)
confirmed
Brick red flame
Flame test performed

7. Test for group VI ( Mg 2+¿¿)

To a little of the salt White precipitate Presence of group VI

solution excess NH 4Cl Formed ( Mg 2+¿¿ )
solution, NH 4OH and
Disodium hydrogen
Phosphate ( Na2H PO 4)
are added.
 Confirmatory test for
group VI ( Mg 2+¿¿)
1. To salt solution add
NaOH solution and 2-3 A blue precipitate Presence of Mg 2+¿¿
drops of Magneson confirmed
reagent
2. Ash test performed
Pink tinted ash Presence of Mg 2+¿¿
Confirmed