To determine the presence of anion and cation in the given salt
| Experiment | Observation | Inference |
|---|---|---|
| Add conc. H₂SO₄ to the solution and boil with a few copper turnings/chips | On heating, brown fumes (NO₂) are evolved in excess and the solution becomes blue | NO₃⁻ may be present |
| Confirmatory Test | ||
| Brown Ring Test Take 1 mL of salt solution, add 2 mL conc. H₂SO₄, cool, then add freshly prepared ferrous sulphate solution along the sides | Brown ring is formed at the junction of the two solutions | NO₃⁻ is confirmed |
| Experiment | Observation | Inference |
|---|---|---|
| Original solution + Dil. HCl + NH₄Cl solid + NH₄OH | White gelatinous precipitate | Al³⁺ may be present |
| Confirmatory Tests | ||
| Dissolve white precipitate in dilute HCl and divide into two parts | To the first part, add sodium hydroxide and warm. A white gelatinous precipitate dissolves in excess sodium hydroxide solution | Aluminium is confirmed |
| Blue Lake Test To the second part, add few drops of blue litmus solution and then NH₄OH dropwise along the sides of the test tube | A blue floating mass appears in colourless solution | Presence of Al³⁺ is confirmed |
The given salt contains Al³⁺ ions as cation and NO₃⁻ ions as anion. The salt is Al(NO₃)₃.