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 |
|---|---|---|
| Warm the salt with dilute H₂SO₄ | Colourless gas with smell of rotten eggs is evolved | S²⁻ may be present |
| Confirmatory Tests | ||
| Lead Acetate Test Pass gas through filter paper dipped in lead acetate solution | Paper turns black | S²⁻ is confirmed |
| Sodium Nitroprusside Test Make solution alkaline with NH₄OH (or sodium carbonate extract) and add sodium nitroprusside solution | Purple/violet colouration is produced | S²⁻ is confirmed |
| Experiment | Observation | Inference |
|---|---|---|
| Original solution + H₂S gas in presence of dil. HCl | Black precipitate of Group-II A is formed | Group-II cation may be present |
| Confirmatory Tests | ||
| Ammonium Hydroxide Test To the original solution (or the filtrate after dissolving the black ppt in dilute HNO₃) add NH₄OH dropwise, then in excess | Pale blue precipitate of Cu(OH)₂ dissolves in excess NH₄OH giving a deep blue tetraamminecopper(II) solution | Cu²⁺ is confirmed |
| Potassium Ferrocyanide Test Acidify the solution with acetic acid and add potassium ferrocyanide | Chocolate-brown precipitate of copper ferrocyanide | Presence of Cu²⁺ is confirmed |
The given salt contains Cu²⁺ as the cation (basic radical) and S²⁻ as the anion (acidic radical). The salt is Copper(II) Sulphide (CuS).