List of Common Cations (Basic Radicals) for Salt

Analysis
*Note: Multiple Ions belonging to the same group have the same preliminary test
but different confirmatory tests.

Group Cations

Group 0 NH4+

Group 1 Pb2+

Group 2 Cu2+

Group 3 Fe3+, Fe2+, Al3+

Group 4 Co2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, Zn2+

Group 5 Ba2+, Ca2+, Sr2+

Group 6 Mg2+

List of Common Anions (Acidic Radicals) for Salt

Analysis
Group Anions

Group 1 CO32-, NO2–, SO32-, S2-

Group 2 Cl–, Br–, I–, CH3COO–, NO3–, C2O42-

Group 3 PO43-, SO42-

Preliminary Test for Anions
In salt analysis, preliminary tests for anions are conducted group-wise to find the anion
of the salt. After getting a positive preliminary test for an anion, a confirmatory test
must be conducted to confirm the presence of that anion in the salt.

Preliminary Test for Group 1 Anions

Experiment: Add a few drops of dilute H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) to a small quantity of the
salt in a test tube (If nothing happens, move on to preliminary test for group 2 anions).

Anion Positive Result

Carbonate (CO32-) Colourless and odourless gas that turns limewater milky

Sulphite (SO32-) Colourless, pungent-smelling gas

Sulphide (S2-) Colourless gas which smells like rotten eggs

Nitrite (NO2–) Light brown gas having a pungent smell

Preliminary Test for Group 2 Anions

Experiment: Take a small chunk of the salt in a test tube and add a few drops of
concentrated H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) to it (If nothing happens, move on to preliminary
test for group 2 anions).

Anion Positive Result

White, pungent-smelling fumes that intensify when a glass rod dipped in

Chloride (Cl–)
ammonium hydroxide is brought to the mouth of the test tube

Bromide (Br–) Reddish-brown fumes

Iodide (I–) Violet fumes

Acetate
Pungent fumes that smell like vinegar
(CH3COO–)
Nitrate (NO3–) Brown fumes with a pungent smell

Oxalate Bubbly effervescence of a combination of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide

(C2O4–) gas

Preliminary Test for Group 3 Anions

The sulphate and phosphate ions (group 3 anions) do not have any preliminary tests.
If no positive preliminary tests are obtained for group 1 and group 2 anions, you can
directly jump to confirmatory tests for the sulphate and phosphate anions.

Confirmatory Test for Anions

*Note: Water extract of the salt can be prepared by dissolving a pinch of the inorganic
salt in a few drops of water.

Anion Confirmatory Test Positive Observation

Add magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) to

Carbonate (CO32-) Formation of a white precipitate.
the water extract of the salt

Formation of a white precipitate

Add aqueous barium chloride (BaCl2)
Sulphite (SO32-) which disappears when diluting
to the water extract
hydrochloric acid (HCl) is added.

(i) Add sodium nitroprusside to the

water extract (i) The solution turns purple or violet
Sulphide (S2-)
(ii) Formation of a black
(ii) Add aqueous lead acetate to precipitate
the water extract
Boil a mixture of the water extract and
dilute H2SO4. Now add solid The solution develops a deep blue
Nitrite (NO2–)
potassium iodide and starch solution colour
to it
Formation of a white precipitate
Add silver nitrate (AgNO3) to the
Chloride (Cl )
–
which is soluble in ammonium
water extract
hydroxide (NH4OH)
Formation of a yellow precipitate
Bromide (Br )–
Add silver nitrate to the water extract which is partially soluble in
ammonium hydroxide
 Formation of a yellow precipitate
Iodide (I–) Add silver nitrate to the water extract
which is insoluble in NH4OH
Mix the water extract with iron (II)
sulphate solution (FeSO4) and add Formation of a brown ring at the
Nitrate (NO3–)
one drop of concentrated nitric acid junction of the acid and the solution.
(HNO3) along the side of the test tube.
Acetate (CH3COO– Add concentrated H2SO4 and some Development of a fruity smell (due to
) ethanol to the salt. the formation of an ester)
Add acetic acid and calcium chloride Formation of a white precipitate that
Oxalate (C2O )4
–
to the water extract and boil the dissolves upon the addition of dilute
solution. HNO3
Formation of a white precipitate
Add aqueous barium chloride (BaCl2)
Sulphate (SO ) 4
2-
which is insoluble in concentrated
to the water extract
hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Add dilute nitric acid (HNO3) and
ammonium molybdate ((NH4)2MoO4) Formation of a yellow, crystalline
Phosphate (PO43-)
to the water extract and boil the precipitate
resulting solution.
Shortcut: Ammonium bromide (NH4Br) is the most common salt containing the
bromide ion in school laboratories. If you confirm the presence of bromide ions in the
salt, you can immediately try a confirmatory test for the ammonium cation (NH 4+)

Preliminary Test for Cations

In salt analysis. preliminary tests for cations must be conducted in order to check for
the presence of different cations in the inorganic salt. This is done in a manner that is
similar to the preliminary tests for anions. Note that some cation groups (such as group
0 and group 6 cations) do not have any preliminary tests. For these cations,
confirmatory tests may be conducted directly.

Note: The original solution (OS) of the salt can be prepared by mixing a small amount
of the inorganic salt with water and acid.

Preliminary Test for Group 1 Cations

Experiment: Add a few drops of dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) to the original solution.

Cation Positive Result

Lead (Pb2+) Formation of a white precipitate

Preliminary Test for Group 2 Cations
Experiment: Add a few drops of dilute HCl and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) to the original
solution.

Cation Positive Result

Copper (Cu2+) A black precipitate is formed

Preliminary Test for Group 3 Cations

• Ferrous salts (featuring Fe2+ ions) are green in colour and ferric salts (featuring Fe3+ ions)
are brown in colour.
• For aluminium (Al3+ ion), a gelatinous white precipitate is obtained when the solid
ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and excess ammonium hydroxide are added to the original
solution.

Preliminary Test for Group 4 Cations

Experiment: Add solid NH4Cl and excess NH4OH to the original solution. Now pass
H2S gas through it.

Cation Positive Result

Cobalt (Co2+) and Nickel (Ni2+), conduct both confirmatory

Formation of a black precipitate
tests

A skin-coloured precipitate is
Manganese (Mn2+)
formed

A greyish-white precipitate is
Zinc (Zn2+)
formed

Preliminary Test for Group 5 Cations

Experiment: Add ammonium carbonate ((NH4)2CO3), ammonium chloride (NH4Cl),
and ammonium hydroxide to the original solution. If you obtain a white precipitate, the
cation might be a group 5 cation. Add dilute acetic acid (CH 3COOH) to dissolve the
white precipitate. Now do the following tests in the same order followed in the tabular
column provided below.
Cation Positive Result

Barium
A yellow precipitate is formed when K2CrO4 is added to the solution.
(Ba2+)

Strontium
A white precipitate is formed when aqueous (NH4)2SO4 is added to the solution.
(Sr2+)

Calcium A white precipitate is formed when aqueous (NH4)2C2O4 (ammonium oxalate) and
(Ca2+) NH4OH are added to the solution.

Confirmatory Tests for Cations

Cation Confirmatory Test Positive Observation

Ammonium Add sodium hydroxide to the original solution and Formation of a yellow or
(NH4+) treat it with Nessler’s reagent (K2HgI4) brown precipitate

(i) Add potassium iodide (KI) to the original solution

Formation of a yellow
Lead (Pb2+)
precipitate (for both the
(ii) Add potassium chromate (K2CrO4) to the
tests)
original solution
In the preliminary test, a black precipitate is obtained
from the addition of dilute HCl and H2S to the original A blue coloured solution
Copper (Cu2+)
solution. Isolate the black precipitate and add excess is formed
ammonium hydroxide to it
Add concentrated nitric acid to the original solution
A blue precipitate is
Iron (Fe3+) and heat it. A brown precipitate will form. Add HCl
formed
and potassium ferrocyanide (K4[Fe(CN)6]) to it
A gelatinous white precipitate is obtained when NH4Cl
A floating, blue layer is
and excess NH4OH are added to the original solution.
Aluminium (Al3+) formed on the surface of
Isolate the precipitate and dissolve it in HCl. Now add
the clear solution
blue litmus and NH4OH to it drop-by-drop
Add solid NH4Cl and excess NH4OH to the original
solution and pass H2S gas through it. Dissolve the A yellow precipitate is
Cobalt (Co2+)
resulting blue residue in water and add dilute obtained.
CH3COOH and KNO2 to it. Now warm the mixture.
Add solid NH4Cl and excess NH4OH to the original
A black precipitate is
Nickel (Ni2+) solution and pass H2S gas through it. Dissolve the
formed
resulting yellow residue in water (you will now obtain
 a green-coloured solution). Add NaOH and bromine
water to this mixture and boil it.
Formation of a white
To the skin-coloured precipitate obtained in the
Manganese precipitate that turns
preliminary test, add dilute HCl and boil off the H2S.
(Mn2+) brown or black when
Now add NaOH.
bromine water is added
Add NaOH (in excess) to the greyish-white The white precipitate is
Zinc (Zn2+)
precipitate obtained in the preliminary test. dissolved
Ba2+: Green-coloured
Barium (Ba2+), Flame test: Make a paste of the salt by mixing it with flame
Strontium (Sr2+), a few drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Now Sr2+: Crimson red
and Calcium skim off some of the paste with a glass rod and flame
(Ca )
2+
expose it to a Bunsen Burner’s flame.
Ca2+: Brick red flame
Magnesium Add NH4Cl, (NH4)3PO4 (ammonium phosphate) and A white precipitate is
(Mg2+) excess NH4OH to the original solution. obtained.