UNIT 2

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

Separation of materials into their ingredients with a view to know their kind and quality is called
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. Chemical analysis is subdivided into two types
1. qualitative analysis
2. quantitative analysis
The detection of the constituents of a material is known as qualitative analysis. Qualitative analysis of a
given inorganic substance is the methodical analysis of salts (present in the sample) based on their
characteristics. It is important to identify the radicals present in the sample.
The reaction between acid and base produces salt and water as seen in the equation below;
Acid Base
Salts
Water
HCl + NaOH _______ NaCl + H2O
From the above equation, it is clearly evident that the salt (NaCl) has two parts one is Sodium ion
(Na+) and the other is Cl_ ion. Sodium ion is called basic radical or Cation because it is derived from
base (NaOH) whereas Cloride ion is called acidic radical because it is derived from acid (H2O). Hence
analysis of salts means analysis of two different radicals.
RADICALS: Radical is either an element or a group of elements, which do not change their valence in
a number of reactions. Radicals are of two types Cation and Anion.
Examples of Basic Radicals (Cations)
Group I
Hg+, Ag+, Pb+2
Group II A Pb+2, Hg+2, Bi+3, Cu+2, Cd+2
Group II B As+3, Sn+4, Sb+3
Group III A Fe+2, Fe+3, Al+3, Cr+3
Group III B Ni+2, Co+2, Mn+2, Zn+2
Group IV Ca+2, Ba+2, Sr+2
Group V Mg+2
Group VI Na+, K+, NH4+