Qualitative analysis
How to do salt analysis · Viva · Quiz
To analyse the given inorganic salt for one acidic and one basic radical.
| Experiment | Observation | Inference |
|---|---|---|
| Take 0.1 g salt + dilute H₂SO₄ | Colourless vapours with vinegar-like smell evolve | CH₃COO⁻ may be present |
| Confirmatory Tests | ||
| Ester Test Take 0.1 g salt in a test tube with ethanol and a little conc. H₂SO₄, then heat | Fruity odour of ethyl acetate is developed | CH₃COO⁻ is confirmed |
| Ferric Chloride Test Add neutral ferric chloride solution to the salt solution | Deep red colour appears; on heating it disappears and a brown-red precipitate forms | CH₃COO⁻ is confirmed |
| Experiment | Observation | Inference |
|---|---|---|
| Original solution + Dilute HCl | No reaction | Group I cation is absent |
| Original solution + Dilute HCl + H₂S gas (with NH₄Cl) | No reaction | Group II cation is absent |
| Original solution + Dilute HCl + NH₄Cl solid + NH₄OH | No reaction | Group III cation is absent |
| Original solution + NH₄Cl + NH₄OH + (NH₄)₂CO₃ | White precipitate is formed | Group V cation may be present |
| Confirmatory Tests | ||
| Flame Test Moisten the salt with conc. HCl and introduce it into a non-luminous flame | Brick-red flame | Ca²⁺ is confirmed |
| Ammonium Oxalate Test Dissolve white precipitate in dilute acetic acid and add ammonium oxalate solution | White precipitate of calcium oxalate | Ca²⁺ is confirmed |
The given salt contains Ca²⁺ as the cation (basic radical) and CH₃COO⁻ as the anion (acidic radical). The salt is Calcium Acetate (Ca(CH₃COO)₂).