VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS

1) What is standard solution and mention its types.

A solution of exactly known concentration is called a standard solution. The standard

solution is of two types: Primary standard solution and Secondary standard solution

2) Primary standard solution and Secondary standard solution

The substance whose standard solution can be prepared directly by weight is known as
primary, standard substance. The substance whose standard solution can’t be prepared
directly by weighing but by titration with primary standard solution are secondary
standard substance.

Primary standards are crystalline oxalic add, Mohr’s salt, etc.

3) What is a molar solution ?

Answer. A molar solution is a solution, a litre of which contains one gm-mole of the
substance. This is symbolised as 1M.

4) Why the last drop of solution must not be blown out of a pipette?
Answer. Since the drops left in the jet end is extra of the volume measured by the
pipette.

5) Pipette should never be held from its bulb, why ?

Answer. The body temperature may expand the glass and introduce an error in the
measurement volume.

6) What is acidimetry and alkalimetry ?

Answer. It is the branch of volumetric analysis involving chemical reaction between an
acid and a base.

7) What is permanganometry ?
Answer. Redox titrations involving KMnO4 as the oxidising agent are called
permanganometric titrations.

8) Which is an oxidising agent and a reducing agent in the reaction between

KMnO4 and FeSO4?
Answer. KMnO4 acts as oxidising agent and FeSO4 acts as reducing agent.

9) What is the indicator used in KMnO4 titration ?

Answer. No indicator is used because KMnO4 acts as a self-indicator.
10) Why does KMnO4 act itself as an indicator ?
Answer. In the presence of dilute sulphuric acid, KMnO4 reacts with reducing agent
(oxalic acid or . ferrous sulphate). When all the reducing agent has been oxidised, the
excess of KMnO4 is not decomposed and imparts pink colour to the solution.

11) What is the end point in KMnO4 titrations ?

Answer. From colourless to permanent light pink.

12) Why is Mohr’s salt preferred as a primary standard over ferrous sulphate in
volumetric
analysis ?
Answer. This is because of the fact that Mohr’s salt is stable and is not readily oxidised
by air. Ferrous sulphate gets oxidised to ferric sulphate.

13) Why are a few drops of dilute sulphuric acid added while preparing a standard
solution of Mohr’s salt ?
Answer. Few drops of H2SO4 are added to prevent the hydrolysis of ferrous sulphate.

14) Sometimes a brown ppt. is observed in KMnO4 titrations. Why?

Answer. It is due to insufficient quantity of dil. sulphuric acid. Brown coloured ppt.
(MnO2.H20) is formed due to the incomplete oxidation of KMnO 4.

15) Why should you heat the oxalic acid solution to about 60-70°C before titrating with
KMnO4 solution ?
Answer. In cold, the reaction is very slow due to the slow formation of Mn 2+ ions. Oxalic
acid is heated to speed up the liberation of Mn 2+ ions which then autocatalyses the
reaction and thus the reaction proceeds rapidly. This also serves the purpose of
expelling the carbondioxide evolved during the reaction which otherwise does not allow
the reaction to go to completion.

16) Why oxalic acid is in solid state at room temperature?

Its general structure is having two polymorphs and due to this, it appears as a white
crystalline solid. After dissolving into water, it becomes a colourless solution. It is
popularly useful as the reducing agent. It works as the chelating agent with oxalate as
its conjugate base.

SALT ANALYSIS
1) What is the difference between a qualitative and quantitative analysis?

Answer. The primary distinction between qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis
in chemistry is that qualitative chemistry determines the presence or absence of various
chemical components in a sample, whereas quantitative chemistry determines the
amount of various chemical components present in a given sample.

Q2. Can we use a glass rod instead of platinum wire for performing the flame test?
Explain your answer.

Answer. No, we cannot use a glass rod instead of platinum wire for performing the
flame test. This is because platinum is unreactive and does not produce a colour in the
flame that masks the presence of other metals.

Q3. Why is platinum metal preferred to other metals for the flame test?

Answer. Platinum is chemically inert, which means it does not react with other elements
to form oxides or other compounds. When performing a flame test, this stability is
desirable because it ensures that we only see the spectrum of what we are burning.

4) Which colour of the flame is observed through the naked eye for Ca 2+?

Answer. Brick red

5) Analysis of which group cation gives white fumes in the confirmatory test? Zero
group cation NH4+.

Answer. Ammonia gas produced by the action of sodium hydroxide on ammonium salts
reacts with hydrochloric acid to produce ammonium chloride, which appears as a dense
white fume.

6) What is Nessler’s reagent?

Answer. Nessler’s reagent is a solution of mercury (II) iodide (HgI 2) in potassium iodide
(KI) and potassium hydroxide (KOH). As a confirmatory test for ammonium ion NH 4+,
Nessler’s reagent is used.

The presence of NH4+ ion is confirmed by the presence of brown or yellow precipitate.

7) What is the group reagent of Group I?

Answer. Dilute HCl.

8) What is the group reagent of Group III?

Answer. Group III cations are precipitated as hydroxides by adding ammonium

hydroxide in the presence of ammonium chloride. Thus, in the presence of NH 4Cl, the
group reagent for this group is NH4OH.
9) What is the colour of the precipitate formed when ferric hydroxide is dissolved in
HCl?

Answer. The reddish-brown precipitate (ferric chloride- FeCl3) is formed when ferric
hydroxide is dissolved in HCl

10) What is the group reagent of Group IV?

Answer. CO2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+ are the radicals found in this group. On passing H 2S
gas through the salt’s ammonical solution, these are precipitated as sulphides. Thus,
the group’s reagent is H2S gas in the presence of NH4Cl and NH4OH.

11) How will you analyse for Group IV cations?

Answer. If group-III is not present, pass H2S gas through the group-III solution for a
few minutes. If a precipitate (white, black, or flesh-coloured) appears, it indicates the
presence of group-IV cations.

12) Why is the original solution for cations not prepared in conc. HNO 3 or H2SO4?

Answer. Since concentrated HNO3 acid is a very strong oxidising and nitrating agent,
the original solution is not prepared in it. When nitric acid is used for salt analysis, the
conc. HNO3 in the solution can oxidise the ions present.

Concentrated H2SO4 has dehydrating properties, it can be used not only as an acid but
also as a dehydrating agent in the synthesis of other acids.

13) Why cannot conc. HCl is used as a group reagent in place of dil. HCl for the
precipitation of Ist group cations?

Answer. The conc. HCl is Not used because high concentrations of ions increase the
solubility of group I chloride precipitate through the formation of soluble complex ions.

14) How can one prevent the precipitation of Group–IV radicals, with the second group
radicals?

Answer. In the presence of HCl, H2S is passed in the qualitative analysis of cations from
the second group. The ionisation of H2S decreases and lessens as a result of the
common ion effect.

15) Can we use ammonium sulphate instead of ammonium chloride in the group–III?

Answer. In group 3, we cannot use ammonium sulphate instead of ammonium chloride

due to the precipitation of Sulphate (SO42–), such as BaSO4, which may interfere with
the systematic investigation of the salt.

16) Why is NH4OH added before (NH44)2CO3 solution while precipitating group–V
cations?

Answer. In salt analysis, a sufficient amount of NH4Cl is added before adding

This is done to convert NH4HCO3, which is usually present in large quantities into
(NH4)2CO3.

17) Name a cation, which is not obtained from a metal.

Answer. Ammonium ion (NH4+).

18) Why are the group–V radicals tested in the order Ba 2+, Sr2+ and Ca2+?

Answer. Ba2+ also gives Sr2+ and Ca2+ tests. Sr2+ also provides Ca2+ tests. Therefore,
before confirming Sr2+, we must demonstrate the absence of Ba2+, and before
confirming Ca2+, we must demonstrate the absence of both Ba2+ and Sr2+.

19) Why should the solution be concentrated before proceeding to the group–V?

Answer. Before moving on to group 5, the solution is concentrated by adding an excess

of NH4Cl to ensure that the ionic product of group 6 cation, Mg 2+, does not exceed its
solubility product and thus does not precipitate with group 5 cations.

20) What do you understand by the term common ion effect?

Answer. The common ion effect describes the effect on equilibrium that occurs when a
common ion (an ion already present in the solution) is added to it. In general, the
common ion effect reduces a solute’s solubility. It can also have an effect on buffering
solutions, as adding more conjugate ions can cause the pH of the solution to change.