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Salt Preparation & Qualitative Analysis

Previously...

You've learnt some general reactions of acids and bases.

But how can we make use of those reactions to prepare salts?

Solubility of Salts

Before we begin to learn the methods of preparing salts, we must first familiarise ourselves with the solubility of salts, as the method of preparation differs for soluble and insoluble salts. 

Always soluble

No Exceptions!

  • Group I metals

  • Nitrate salts 

  • Ammonium salts

Mostly soluble

  • Group VII salts

  • Sulfates 

Exceptions

  • AgCl, PbCl2

  • BaSO4, CaSO4, PbSO4

  • Carbonates

  • metal oxides/hydroxides

Exceptions

  • Group I metal salts

  • Ammonium salts

Mostly insoluble

Tip: Remember using ABC, Pb common for both

Quiz Time!

Think you know your salts well? Challenge yourself by doing the quiz on kahoot.it!

Salt Preparation

Before the answer is revealed, think of all the reactions that you have learnt before. What reactions can you think of to prepare a salt? 

Something + Something 

SALT? 

Ready? Here are the answers: 

1

Acid + Metal

Not suitable for very reactive metals (e.g. Group I) and unreactive metals (Cu, Ag, Au)

Acid + Carbonate

2

Acid + Alkali

3

Precipitation Reaction

4

In each of these reactions, it is possible to get either a soluble salt or an insoluble salt. How will you retrieve the salt that you want?

 

(Hint: think of your separation techniques)

Qualitative Analysis

Now that you've learnt how to prepare salts, let's take a look at how to identify an unknown salt!

Fill in your worksheet on the observations and equations for the various tests for cations and anions

Tests for Cations
Tests for Anions

Draw a flowchart that describes how you will identify an unknown salt sample

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