CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 1 ^ Cornell University Vif Library The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924012369710 ELEMENTS QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS BY. G. C. CALDWELL, B.S., Ph.D., PROFESSOR OF AGRICULTURAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY IN CORNELL UNIVERSITY ; AUTHOR OF AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS ; MANUAL OF INTRODUCTORY CHEMICAL practice; MANUAL OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS. SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. PHILADELPHIA: P. BLAKISTON, SON & CO., I0I2 WALNUT STREET. 1892. /^ nsin Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1892, by P. Blakiston, Son & Co., in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. Press of Wm. F. Fell & Co., I270-24 SANSON! ST., PHILADELPHIA. PREFACE. In this work the author has brought together what has already been published, separately, in the " Manual of Qualitative Chemical Analysis," by himself and Dr. S. M. Babcock, and the "Notes on Chemical Analysis," by himself alone; he has added thereto much matter on qualitative analysis, all of Parts III and IV on quantitative analysis, and nearly all of Part V. Of course no such work as this can be satisfactorily prepared without frequent reference to the standard treatises of Prescott and Johnson, and of Fresenius, in one of which the whole subject of qualitative analysis is very thoroughly treated, and in the other both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The author would acknowledge his indebtedness to these works, while claiming for himself at least some novelty in the arrange- ment of the matter, as well as in some of the matter itself, in this attempt to prepare a book that is much needed in his own laboratory. Also, for valuable suggestions in the revision of the work for the second edition, he is indebted to Professor Dennis, and Instructors Chamot and Preswick, of the University. Certain modifications in the spelling of chemical terms, adopted. after careful consideration by the chemical section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, are used in this second edition. HI TABLE OF CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. PART I. THE PROCESSES OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY AND SOME OF THE PRODUCTS OF ITS OPERATIONS. 4 Chapter I. — Solution and Solids from Solution. The solvent agents used ; physical solution ; chemical solution ; table of solubilities; solution of metals; solubility and temperature ; solubility of salts in acids; comparative range of solvent power of different solvents ; saturated solutions ; solution of gases or vapors ; solids from solution, by cooling of saturated solutions ; by removal of the solvent agent. Chapter II. — Acids, Bases, Salts. The terms defined; anhydrids; normal salts; acid salts ; basic salts. Chapt'er III. — Oxidation, Chlorination, Reduction. The terms defined ; conditions under which oxidation or chlorination may take place ; reduction defined ; conditions under which reduction may take place ; the reactions of oxidation and reduction, with free oxygen ; nitric acid ; aqua regia ; potassium chlorate and hydrochloric acid ; bromin ; chromic acid ; sulfuric acid ; changes in valence aceompany- ing oxidation or chlorination or their reverse. Chapter IV. — Metathesis. Term defined; conditions under which it takes place; important law of; several kinds of metathesis made use of; on some of the products of metathesis; metathesis requires time. Chapter V. — Writing Equations. Requirements for the correct writing of an equation ; structural or graphic formuliK of compounds ; valence of elements and compounds ; table of elements and hypothetical compounds entering into the equations for the reactions of chemical analysis ; special Sighs attached to the equa- tion ; additional directions ; common errors in writing equations ; writing the history of a substance in equations. V VI TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter VI. — The Manipulations of- Analytical Chemistry in General. Making solutions; fluxing; evaporation, ignition, acidification, all:<< :«^ ^ :g '.<< vithdrawn. 2HgCl2 + SnClj = 2HgCl + SnCl^ 2HgCl + SnClj = 2Hg + SnCl^ PtCl^ + SnClj = PtClj + SnCl^ PtCl^ + 2H = Ft + 2HCI b. There must be a reducing agent. This may be any element having under the given conditions a stronger attraction for, the oxygen or chlorin in combination, than is exerted by the other element in the compound ; or it may be a compound of one of these elements with oxygen or chlorin in a lower proportion, that is capable of combining with more than one proportion. (§ 20 a). 22. A reducing agent excelling all others, in the scope and power of its action is nascent hydrogen, or hydrogen taken just at the moment when it is liberated from combination, as when zinc is dissolved in dilute sulfuric acid. Further, hydrogen compounds in which the hydrogen is rather loosely bound, and especially if associated with elements that are themselves capable of oxidation, are a strong reducing agent; sometimes the other element of the compound is set free. AsH, + 6AgN03 + 3H2O = 6Ag + HjAsO, + 6HNO3. Oxalic acid, HjCjOj, sulfurous acid, H2SO3, and hydrogen sulfid, often occur as agents of reduction in analytical wo'rk; carbon dioxid and water, sulfuric acid and water, and free sulfur being the products from the reducing agents in the several cases. As to the hydrogen, it may be observed in general that when- ever any oxidation, chlorination, or reduction is taking place, and there is any hydrogen in the substances engaged, it is very likely to appear in H^O or HCl in the products of the action ; the bond of union between hydrogen and oxygen, or between hydrogen and chlorin, is one of the strongest in chemistry; consequently the tendency to form one or the other of these §§23-24-] OXIDATION, CHLORINATION, REDUCTION. 15 compounds, whenever there is any opportunity so do so, is very powerful. 6H2C2O4 (oxalic acid) + 2KMn04 + 2H2SO4 = SH^O + 12CO2 + K3SO4 + MnSO^j. Free hydrogen not nascent is a strong reducing agent when aided by heat. Also at higher temperatures, a red heat or above, carbon is a powerful reducing agent, carbon monoxid or carbon dioxid being the product. 23. Except when oxidation or chlorination is effected directly by free oxygen or chlorin, these processes and reduction go hand in hand ; the simultaneous presence, and the co-operation, of both a substance capable of oxidation or chlorination, and a body capable of yielding oxygen or chlorin, are essential. Commonly, the existence together in a solution is impossible of a substance in the free state that is capable of acting as an oxid- izing or a chlorinating agent under the existing conditions, and of a substance capable of taking up oxygen or chlorin. Since, as is usually the case in analytical operations, oxidation or chlorination of one substance implies reduction of some other substance, the same general conditions that are favorable for one operation are favorable for the other. 24. The reactions of oxidation and reduction. a. With free oxygen. When oxidation results from the action of free oxygen of the air, or the oxygen dissolved in water, as when moist and freshly precipitated ferrous sulfid is oxidized to the sulfate, the reaction needs no explanation. b. With nitric acid ; products of the oxidation. Water is always formed by the union of the hydrogen of the acid with a part of its oxygen. When metals or their sulfids are treated, a nitrate of the metal is nearly always formed ; in a very few cases, as with antimony and tin, for example, oxids that are insoluble in the excess of acid are produced. All such exceptions to the general rule that nitrates are formed are mentioned where they occur. In the treatment of a sulfid the sulfur is either set free or oxidized to sulfuric acid (see sulfids. Chap. VII). Products of the reduction. The nitrogen of the decomposed nitric acid may be evolved as ammonia, NH3, free nitrogen, nitrogen monoxid or nitrous oxid, NjO, nitric oxid or nitrogen dioxid, NjOa, or NO, nitrogen trioxid, N2OS, or nitrogen tetroxid, NaO,, or NO,. If the nitric acid is in excess and a Jjoiling heat l6 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 24. is used, the product is nearly all NO : but excess of reducing agent, a very dilute acid, and a low temperature favor the form- ation of NH3 at the other extreme. Under certain conditions hydrogen may be set free, although, as the presence of nascent hydrogen and nitric acid together is incompatible, such condi- tions can occur but rarely. In general, NO, a colorless gas, is formed in analytical work, which in contact with the air takes up oxygen, forming N2O3 and NO2, the latter appearing as brown fumes. The following diagram illustrates the manner in which HNO3 may be supposed to be' broken up in the oxidation of substances, or in the production of nitrates of the metals, with NO as the product of the reduction : — In oxidation. formation of nitrates. N = H - 01-0- !N = H- OJ-0 H-l O -O ]Sf = o H-^-O- N = H-|"cr-0- N = H- O -O- N = It will be seen that in simple oxidation 2 molecules of HNOs yield 3 atoms of oxygen : and that, in order to get the product H2O, which is always formed, the number of molecules of HNO3 taken must always be 2 or some multiple thereof; and that the number of atorns of oxygen used for the oxidation must always be 3 or some multiple thereof. Observe, also, that just half of the oxygen of the HNO3 consumed goes to oxidize the metal, and the other half appears in the H^O and NO. It is also shown that in the formation of nitrates, 4 molecules of HNO3 yield 3 molecules of the hypothetical NO3 ; and that, in order to get the product HjO, the number of molecules of HNO3 used must be 4 or some multiple thereof, and the number of molecules of NO3 used directly in the production of, and appearing in, the nitrate in the right hand member of the equa- tion must be 3 or some multiple thereof. . 3Sn + 4HNO3 = sSnOj + ■iB.f) + 4NO. 3Pb + 8HNO3 = 3Fb(N03) , + 4HjO + 2Na c. With aqua regia (3 parts cone. HCl, i part cone. HNO3). These acids react with each other as follows : — 3HCI + HNOs = NOClj + CI + 2HjO, or 3HCI + HNO3 = NOCl + 2CI + 2HjO. The products vary according to the existing conditions. § 24-] OXIDATION, CHLORINATION, REDUCTION. 17 The reaction is aided by heat, and takes place only very slowly between moderately dilute acids. These compounds of nitrogen, oxygen, and chlorin, or nitrosyl chlorids, are gaseous and very unstable ; they are dissolved by that part of the acid still undecomposed : when the solution 'is saturated their produc- tion ceases. If a metal is put into this solution, action (chlorina- tion) takes place, these compounds being decomposed and sup- plying chlorin, while oxids of nitrogen escape; the solution being then no longer saturated with these gases a fresh quantity is formed : thus the operation goes on, as long as these chlorinating products are consumed by a body capable of chlori- nation. It is especially the production of this abundance of free and nascent chlorin that makes aqua regia such a powerful chlorinating agent. The products of the action of aqua regia are, therefore, a chlorid of the metal attacked, and water, and, for the reduction, lower oxids of nitrogen, probably nitric oxid for the most part. d. Potassium chlorate and hydrochloric acid. This mixture gives when heated a greenish yellow gas, a mixture of chlorin and chlorin dioxid. KCIO3 -I- 2HCI = CI -f ClOj -t- KCl + HjO. The chlorin dioxid is very unstable, giving nascent chlorin and oxygen by its decomposition. The mixture is, therefore, a very efficient chlorinating agent : in the presence of water it may act also as a strong oxidizing agent. The products of the action of this mixture on substances capable of oxidation or chlorination are oxids and chlorids of the basigenic element. e. Bromin. This acts as an oxidizing agent in the presence of water, by reason of its strong attraction for hydrogen, and the generally greater stability of the oxids than of the bromids. Being much more soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid than in water, this acid solution is often used in preference to an "aqueous solution. Hydrobromic acid and oxygen are the pro- ducts of the reaction with water, in the presence of a substance capable of oxidation. Dissolved in solutions of potassium or sodium hydroxid it yields a mixture of hypobromite, KBrO or NaBrO, and bromite, KBrOa or Na BrOj, powerfully oxidizing substances : a bromid of the alkaline metal is the product of the reduction. CHjNjO (urea) + sKBrO = CO, -f 2HjO + 3KBr + 2N. 2 l8 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 25-26. f. Chromic add. In a solution of a chromate containing free acid, the chromic acid is liberated from its base, and acts as an oxidizing agent, or chlorinating in the presence of hydro- chloric acid. Salts containing chromium as a basigenic constituent are the products of the reduction. 2HjCrO, + 6HC1 + sHjS = SH^O + 2Cras + 3S. g. Sulfuric acid. This when concentrated and hot may act as an oxidizing agent, sulfurous acid being the product of the reduc- tion, and a sulfate of the metal oxidized. As under e above, the carbon and hydrogen of organic substances may be oxidized in this way, but the nitrogen nearly always appears in the form of ammonia. Kjeldahl's exceedingly useful method of determining nitrogen in organic compounds is based on this reaction. 25. Changes in valence accompanying oxidation or chlorination, or their reverse. Thus far, these operations have been regarded only as involving the addition or removal of oxygen and chlorin : other important changes, as in valence, may, however, take place simultaneously, supposing that more than one valence be allowed to the same element. The higher degrees of valence are found in the higher grades of oxidation or chlorination. Illustrations will be found in the Table, § 37, where the same element is given in more than one group. The student should notice the very marked changes in chemical properties that sometimes accompany such changes in valence. CHAPTER IV. METATHESIS. 26. Constant use is made in chemical analysis of the ki-nd of chemical change designated as metathesis, from the Greek, meaning to set over. Conditions under which metathesis takes place. a. Metathesis takes place as a rule only between substances that are liquefied either by solution or fusion. Only under such conditions is there that closeness of contact, and freedom of mo- tion among the particles of the substances acting on one another, which permits or facilitates chemical change. § 2 7- J METATHESIS. 1 9 In the case of exceptions to this rule, which are to be found in the course of the qualitative work, it will be noticed that at least one of the substances engaged is in solution, while the other is often freshly precipitated and moist, when it may reasonably be supposed to exist in a much more porous condition, exposing a larger surface to attack by the dissolved reagent, than when even in the finest powder of the previously dried substance. PF or wa in the Table of Solubilities, § '6, may be taken as indicating sufificient solubility for a precipitating reaction ; and such a reaction will be given, provided that the reagent used is capable of giving it in any solution of the substance. b. That one and the same elementary or compound substance exhibits unequal attraction for different elementary or compound substances is an important fundamental principle of chemistry, which the student learns very early in his study of the science. But the formation or decomposition of chemical compounds, or, in other words, the kind of metathesis that takes place, is some- times powerfully modified by conditions quite independent of the relative forces of attraction that make or break these compounds. 27. The following law illustrates this statement, and at the same time bears a very important relation to the operations of analytical chemistry. On bringing together a substance from the acidigen column. Table, § 37, and one from the basigen column, if a substance can be formed by their union that is insoluble in the medium of contact, or one that is gaseous at the temperature of contact, such union will take place ; or such changes will take place in the arrangement of the constituents of compounds containing these substances as may be necessary to produce the new insol- uble or gaseous compound. It is above all upon the unfailing operation of this law that the success of the work of the analytical chemist depends ; if, for instance, he could not rest assured beyond all doubt of the cer- tainty of the reaction expressed by the following equation : — NbjSOi + BaClj = BaSO< + NaClj, or, that in a solution prepared in a certain definite manner a barium salt would always react with a sulfate, yielding a precipi- tate of barium sulfate, and at least almost completely removing the sulfuric acid from the solution, no dependence could be placed on the reliability of his qualitative or quantitative results. 20 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 28-Z9. where the detection or quantitative estimation of either barium or sulfuric acid is concerned. 28. In cases where insoluble compounds cannot be formed by interchange of the constituent parts of the substances brought together, it may be supposed that new compounds are neverthe- less formed, even though there may be no visible changes. If, for instance, the substances brought together in solution were, instead of those in the above equation, sodium sulfate and ferric chlorid, a part of the chlorin may go to the sodium and a part of the sulfuric acid to the iron, so that four salts, Na2S04, FeClj, NaCl, Fe2(S04)3 exist in the solution instead of the two original ones, or instead of only one salt, as in the second mem- ber of that equation. Evidence of such change is found in certain color reactions, as, for instance, the deep red color which results from the reaction between a ferric salt and a sulfocyanate, (§ 92): no insoluble substance is formed, but there must be, nevertheless, a partial interchange of acids and bases. Moreover, when a new compound can be formed by interchange of the con- stituents, or by metathesis, that is partially or slightly soluble in the medium of interchange, a portion of the new compound will be precipitated, while the rest may remain in solution as such, and we will have also some of the original, undecomposed salts ; thus, with the first letters of the alphabet, used as coefficients, representing known quantities and the last letters unknown quantities: — aCaClj -I- bKjSO^ = uCaSO^ -f- zKCl -|- vCaSO^ -|- yCaClj + xKjSOi. Calcium sulfate is slightly soluble in water, and while one portion is precipitated, another will remain in solution, together with a portion of the original calcium salt. Such will be the result, as may now be readily understood, if the conditions under which a complete precipitation is to be made are not carefully fulfilled : errors may follow, which may be especially serious in quantitative work, and often in qualita- tive analysis as well, and which the student is too prone to attribute to the fallibility of the reaction instead of his own want of care. 29. If, as a result of the metathesis, one of the new substances produced be an acid, or any other solvent agent that will dis- solve the other possible product of the metathesis, of course the conditions are not fulfilled, according to the law stated above. §3°- J METATHESIS. 21 for the production of that substance, and there may be no visible evidence of its production. FeClj + HjPO^ = FePO^ + 3HCI may not be a correct representation, since FePO^, though in- soluble in water, is soluble in hydrochloric acid ; but the following is correct : — s FeCl3 + {NH,)3PO^ = FeP04 + 3NH,Cl. A precipitate may be formed in the first case, however, since the small quantity of HCl set free can make only a very dilute acid liquid, perhaps insufficient to keep the phosphate from separating out. 30. Several kinds of metathesis are made use of in analytical work. Between two salts giving : — a. An insoluble new salt ; NaCl + AgNOj = AgCl + NaNOj. b. No insoluble salt, but at least a partial exchange of acids and bases, and some evidence of the exchange visible to the senses ; FeCla + 3NH4CNS = Fe(CNS)8 (deep red solution) + sNH^Cl. A more nearly correct equation would, however, be similar to that in § 28, but without any precipitation at all. Between an acid and a salt giving : — c. An insoluble salt, insoluble in water, but possibly not in the new acid produced, unless very dilute ; Hg NO3 + HCl = HgCl + HNO3, But CaCl2 + H2C2O4 -|- 2HCI ^= no visible reaction, possibly. d. A gaseous product. KjCOs + 2HC2H3O2 = 2KC2H3O2 + CO2 + H^O. Between an hydroxid and a salt giving : — e. Metallic hydrates or hydroxids, insoluble : — AICI3 + 3NaOH = Al (OH), + 3NaCl. 22 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 31-33- f. Insoluble salts into which the basigenic element of the hydroxid enters: — Ba(0H)2 + KjSO^ = BaSO^ + 2KOH. g. A gaseous product : — NH4CI + KOH = KCl + NHj + HjO. • . 31. Metathesis is not completed instantaneously, although it may set in the moment that the substances reacting upon one another are brought together. If a slightly soluble salt is the product, this slight solubility may retard the completeness of the separation, or prevent it altogether ; but if time is allowed, the separation may be carried much further than at the beginning of contact, and it may ih the end be quite complete. Instances in illustration of these points will be met with in the course of the analytical work that follows, where directions are given to allow the mixture of reagent and solution of substance to stand for several hours, in order that the desired reaction may be obtained or completed. CHAPTER V. WRITING EQUATIONS. 32. All the chemical changes that take place in the operations of chemical analysis, and upon which these operations are based, are comprised under these three heads of (i) solution, (2) oxida- tion and reduction, and allied processes in which chlorin, bromin, iodin or sulfur may take a part, like that taken by oxygen, and (3) metathesis. The working out of chemical equations explaining these changes may be justly regarded as a valuable test of the student's insight into their chemistry ; the writing of these equations is an important part of his stjidy of chemical analysis, and it may be made to give some intefcctual zest to what would otherwise be little more than mere machine work. . 33. The correct writing of an equation requires : — a. A knowledge of the formulas of the substances originally acting upon each other. b. A knowledge of the products of this action. §§ 34-35-] WRITING EQUATIONS. 23 c. A balancing of the equation so that its two members shall be equal in respect to kind and number of atoms, without in- cluding any substances, elementary or compound, whose presence is impossible or unreasonable under the existing conditions, and in which every simple or compound hypothetical body in- cluded shall have its supposed combining power or valence satisfied. The information under a is given in the text-books, or often on the labels of the bottles ; that under 6 is usually partly given in the description of the reaction ; what is not thus explained must be worked out under the general rules to be found in this text-book or in other works. The law stated in § 27 can be usefully applied, in combination with the study of the table of solubilities, in the working out of this part of the problem, where it becomes necessary to decide whether any reaction will take place. The work under c is accomplished by the application of prin- ciples laid down in this or other text-books. Under this head it is important to understand some of the principles upon which formulas are constructed. 34. Structural or graphical formulas of compounds. The or- dinary formula of a compound shows only the relative and most reasonable number of atoms of each of the elements composing it. In the structural formula an idea is presented to the eye of the manner in which the component elements may reasonably be supposed to be grouped together, as illustrated by the following examples : — Fe=0 K— > Fe=0 K2 = 0, = S=02or /^\l K— In these formulas each element is supposed to have a certain combining power, measured in terntls of a monovalent atom, which is called its valence ; this is shown in the formula by the number of dashes connected with its- symbol, or by Roman numerals in small type above and to the right of it ; the valence of each of the elements in the second plan of the formula of potassium sulfate is indicated with perfect clearness by the method first stated. 35. The true valence of many of the metallic elements is not yet settled : and this whole matter of valence should be strictly 24 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 36-37- regarded as merely a working theory, and one which can be made useful in the study of chemical equations. In the following Table the apparent valence is assigned, in such unsettled cases, that corresponds with the most generally adopted formulas of the compounds of these elements. To silver the valence one is assigned, which is apparent in the formulas AgCl, AgNOs, Ag^SOj, etc., although there are reasons for re- garding it as a dyad metal with a valence of two. Lead is prob- ably a tetrad element, but the formulas of all its common salts can be and are constructed on a dyad basis : the same may be. said of barium, strontium, etc. Iron is regarded by many as dyad in ferrous compounds and tetrad in ferric compounds, while others regard it as tetrad in both. Again, more recent researches tend to show that it is triad in the ferric compounds, instead of tetrad ; although the question is, perhaps, not yet fully set- tled, the simpler formulas on the triad basis are given in the case of iron, and of some other elements also, in regard to which the same view is at least permissible. 36. In the equations of the more simple forms of metathesis certain groups of elements are invariably transferred from one member of the equation to the other, apparently without being broken up in the actual course of the changes involved in the reaction ; thus, in the equation KjSO^ -1- Ba(N03)2 = BaSO^ + 2KNO.,. SO, and NO3 changes places ; in the structural formula for KjSO, (§ 34), it is seen that the group SO, is dyad ; so in the structural formula for sodium nitrate Na-O-N = Oj, the group -0-N=0.i is monad ; if, in writing equations for metathesis the student supposes these and similar acidic groups to be broken up he is very likely to end his work in confusion. Hence, for his purposes in equation writing, the most practical course is to regard these groups as actually transferred from one basigen to another, and as bearing the valence indicated by the composition of the compounds containing them. But he must not forget that they are purely hypothetical groups which have not been isolated, or proved to exist as such in any chemical compound apparently containing them. 37. For assistance in explaining by equations the reactions that take place in the course of ordinary qualitative analysis, the following classification is given of elements, and of certain hypo- thetical compounds of which examples were mentioned in the preceding section. §§ 38-39J WRITING EQUATIONS. 25 In any product of the ordinary metatheses of chemical analysis there will be at least one basigen and one acidigen, but not necessarily only one atom ch- molecule of each : very rarely will there be more than one acidigen (see basic salts § 17) ; more often there will be more than one basigen, provided that the acidigen is more than monovalent (see acid salts § 16), as illustrated in the following formula of sodium ammonium phosphate : Na NH.HPO^. Basigens (base-forming). Acidigens {acid-forming'). H, K, Na, NHj, Ag, Hg(ous), CI, I, Br, F, OH, NO3, CIO,, Cy, Cu. (or CN), CyS (or CNS), C^HjOj. Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, Fe(ous), O, S, SO,, SO,, CO3, Cp,, CrO, Ni, Co, Pt, Hg(ic), Cd, Cu, Pb. SiOs, SnOj, C^H^Oj. Au, Bi, Fe. P0„ AsOj, AsO„ SbO„ C.HjO,, Fe(CNj) (in ferricyanid). FeCyj (or Fe(CN)8) (ip ferrocyanid). DYAD OR TETRAD. Sn, Pt. Sb, As. TRIAD OR PENTAD. 38. In order that a chemical equation shall exhibit at a glance as much as possible of the nature of the products formed, the sign — , is always to be put underneath the formula of an insoluble compound precipitated, and the sign — " — over the formula of any gaseous product evolved. In the case of the solution of a substance originally insoluble in water, effected by any active solvent agent, by which a new compound soluble in water is formed, the special, new, soluble product of the solution is to be indicated by a straight line under its formula. See equations, § 5. 39. In writing equations it must be remembered that water is always present when the reactions are obtained in the wet way, that is in solutions, and that water can always be incorporated into the equation if necessary for reasonable results. 26 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 4°- Also, when solution is made by an acid, an excess of the acid is always supposed to be present, and the possible effect of such excess must be regarded, such, for instance, as its tendency to form salts with oxides (§ 40 c). Also, that any soluble salt of an acid will give the same reac- tion as will the acid itself, but will not, of course, act as a solvent, like the free acid. Thus NaCl and HCl give the same charac- teristic product with silver salts. 40. Providing against some of the common errors in writing equations, a. An equation written is to be regarded as repre- senting some chemical change of which there is sensible proof, such as the disappearance of a solid as it passes into solution by an acid, a case of oxidation or an allied process, or of reduction, a precipitate formed, or a gas evolved, or a change of color of the liquid. Metatheses may take place, and doubtless do when there is no plain evidence of it presented to the senses (§ 28) : but they are not such as are expressed by the ordinary equations explaining the operations of chemical analysis. The student must be able to give one of the above reasons for every equation that he writes. Failure to meet this requirement is a very com- mon source of error. b. As a result of the metatheses made use of in analytical work, in the wet way, it is not common that the metals them- selves appear as precipitates ; they of course never exist as such in a solution, for they are not soluble; it is only their com- pounds that are soluble. Therefore an equation that leaves a metal in a free state, and at the same time unprecipitated, cannot be a correct one. c. The oxids of the metals do not exist as such, in a free state, in a solution, since every oxid which is capable of forming a base soluble in water, immediately on contact therewith forms such a base. KjO-|-HjO = 2KHO. CaO-l-HjO =Ca(0H)2. Nor do the oxids, whether in solution or insoluble, exist as such in the presence of an excess of a free acid, provided that they are capable of yielding soluble salts with that acid ; any explanation of a metathesis which results in this condition of things must therefore be incorrect. d. It is more common to meet with the acidigenic elements in the elementary form, as the products of metathesis or other operations of analytical work ; they may be in solution, as in the § 41 -J WRITING EQUATIONS. 27 case of bromin or chlorin, or precipitated, as iodin or sulfur, or gaseous, as chlorin. e. The anhydrids of the acids, such as N2O5, SO3, correspond- ing to the oxids of the bases, cannot exist in a free state, in an excess of water, provided that they are capable, as is the fact in most cases, of forming a soluble acid : for such an acid will be immediately formed on contact with the water, and will go into solution. f. Of course an acid and a base cannot exist free in the same solution ; whichever is in excess, or present in quantity more than sufficient to combine with all of the other, will take it all up to form a salt, no iriatter whether the salt so formed be soluble or insoluble. In this connection it is to be remembered that a hydroxid or hydrate (Chap. VIII) answers to the definition of a base (§ 13). g. In writing equations a reagent added is always to be con- sidered, as in the actual use of it, in excess, more or less above what is required of it for the actual work of precipitation or solution : and in completing an equation the possible effect of such excess must be taken into account ; as, for example, when the reagent is a strong base, like KOH or NaOH, and an acid is one of the products of the reaction. Other illustrations of this principle occur in some of the equations given out. 41. Students are too ready to extricate themselves from some difficulty in completing an equation, by indicating some chemical element which they cannot dispose of readily in any other way, as left in the free state ; and usually, as the element so left free is often a very active one, as oxygen, chlorin, hydrogen, etc., this is done in direct violation of well established chemical laws. Some common errors of this kind are noticed in the preceding paragraphs with reference to some of the elements and to some compounds. A few other elements need mention in this con- nection. a. Oxygen. Except by the action of the electric current this element is left in the free state only when liberated from com- pounds containing it loosely held in combination, such as nitrates, chlorates or other compounds containing both chlorin and oxygen, and many of the metallic oxids, especially higher oxids where more than one is formed with the same metal — and in the absence of any substance with which it can combine at the temperature of liberation, such as metals especially of the potassium, calcium, aluminum, and iron groups, and some lower 28 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 41- oxids where more than one is formed with the same metal (§ 20), or any of the reducing agents mentioned in § 22, to which might be added hydrogen sulfid. This liberation of oxygen very rarely takes place except by heating the dry substance or mixture of substances, the temper- ature required for such liberation being in nearly all cases above the boiling point of water or of any aqueous solution. Free oxygen is therefore so very rarely a product of metatheses taking place in solution, that such a result would always be specially stated in the description of the metathesis. This statement as to the liberation of oxygen from its com- pounds does not refer to cases where it is withdrawn from oxid- izing agents, that readily yield it at temperatures within the boiling point of solutions, when bodies are presented that are capable of combining with it under such conditions : no free oxygen appears, however ; the element simply passes, so far as our observation extends, from one compound into another. b. Chlorin. This element is set free : — 1. By heating, in the dry condition, certain chlorids of metals of the copper and tin groups. 2. When a substance containing chlorin and one containing loosely bound oxygen are brought together; and in case the chlorin is in the form of a stable salt, the cooperation of a strong acid is necessary. The common method of making chlorin, with MnOj and HCl illustrates the principle. For other illustrations see § 24 c, d, and f. But chlorin canot appear in the free state simultaneously with any body that will readily combine with it, like a metal, or hydro- gen, or a compound containing hydrogen loosely bound, as hy- drogen sulfid, or in the presence of any other sulfid, of which it at once takes the metal, or in the presence of water and an easily oxidizable substance, such as a sulfite or any organic substance. c. Hydrogen. When this element appears in the free state, as the result of a chemical reaction, and evolved from a liquid, it is the product : — 1. Of the action of certain metals of the first and second groups on water, these metals having such an exceedingly strong attraction for oxygen as to be able to take it from this most stable compound. 2. Of the action of certain metals, as zinc, aluminum, or tin, on an aqueous solution of an alkali (KOH, NaOH), the metal displacing the hydrogen. § 42.J WRITING EQUATIONS. 29 3. By the substitution, in a solution of an acid, of a metal for the hydrogen. The common method of preparing hydrogen by means of zinc and H^SOi is a familiar illustration of this prin- ciple. It will be seen that a common reaction characterizes all these methods : regarding water as a compound of the hypothetical sub- stance hydroxy!, HO, with hydrogen (HO + H = H-0-H) the hydrogen which appears may be always considered as this second atom of the element, as shown in the following equa- tions, illustrating each mode of production above mentioned : — H-O-H-fK equals KOH + H. 2KOH + Zn equals K^ = 0^= Zn + 2H. H2 = Oj = S = O2 -f Zn equals Zn = Oj = S = 0, + 2H. It must not be forgotten that hydrogen in the moment when it is set free is in its nascent state and possessed of powerful reducing properties; and that, therefore, it cannot appear in the second member of the equation if there is present at the same time any oxidizing or chlorinating agent, or any of the sub- stances in the list in § 20 a, that readily give up oxygen or chlorin (or bromin or iodin). d. Nitrogen. Although this is not, like the elements already considered, powerfully active, and eager to enter into chemical combination, still it is set free from solutions only under certain conditions, occurring so rarely in ordinary analytical work, as always to receive special mention in the account of the reaction yielding it. e. Bromin and Iodin. The same may be said as to the ap- pearance of these elements in the free state that was said of chlorin. f. Sulfur is very often set free in the reactions of sulfids, ap- pearing as a very fine powder, or turbidity : its appearance in the right-hand side of the equation is therefore allowable, and in this respect it differs strikingly from the other elements noticed above. 42. Good practice is obtained in writing equations, as well as a better acquaintance with the chemistry of the analytical work, by writing out, in equations, the history of each sub- stance in its passage through the special course in which it is tested for. Taking, for example, calcium in the scheme for the 30 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 4 calcium group, the solution brought there contains all its bas gens in the form of their chlorids, as a consideration of the pr "ceding schemes will show. The first reagent added that affec the calcium is (NH4)2COa, by which the carbonate is precif tated ; this, then, would be the first step in the history, to 1 shown by an equation. These carbonates are next dissolved in HC2H3O2, and tl next equation would show the action of this acid on calciu carbonate. KjCrO, has no action on the calcium in this sol tion, and therefore the next step to be shown is the precipitatic again by (NH4)2C08 ; next comes the solution of t^iis precip tate in HCl, then the action of (NH4)2C204 on the salt of ca cium in this solution, giving the final test. Thus it takes fii equations to express the history of calcium, in its passage throug the course for its detection. CHAPTER VI. THE MANIPULATIONS OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY. 43. Making Solutions. The suitable preparation of a solutic for analytical purposes is not so unimportant a matter as on fir thought it might appear to be. There is a certain degree strength, or concentration of the solution that is most suitab for the work to be done with it, which may be different : different cases. Of substances soluble in water, there are few that will n^ dissolve in ten times their weight of the solvent. A solution such concentration is not unsuitable, as a general thing, eith for reagents, or as a solution of a substance to be analyzed. As reagents, however, it is better that some should be much mo dilute, and others stronger; for such cases directions will 1 given where they are needed. A substance to be analyzed in the wet way, that is by treatme: with the reagents in solution, must first be brought into solutic itself. For this purpose, only three reagents are in common us( distilled water, hydrochloric acid, and nitric acid, the acids beii either dilute or concentrated. In general the presence of stroi acid in a solution to be analyzed is to be avoided, as liable §§ 44-4S-] MANIPULATIONS. 3I interfere with the success of subsequent operations ; the young analyst needs especially to bear this in mind. If strong acid is required for the actual solution of the substance, the excess of it must usually be removed by evaporation nearly to dryness ; water is then added to the residue in such quantity as to make a solution of about the right strength. For the details of the operation of getting the substance into solution for analysis, see the directions given in Chapter VIII. 44. Fluxing. Some substances can be brought into solution only after a metathesis has been produced between them and certain reagents in a state of fusion. Sodium and potassium carbonates are used for such reagents. A soluble salt of the acid of the insoluble substance and the alkali metal is formed, while the carbon dioxid either escapes, or forms carbonates of the basigenic elements in the insoluble substance, or is disposed of in both ways. None of these new compounds being insoluble in acids, the original substance can by this means be brought entirely into solution for analysis ; with this exception, however : in the silicates we have a large class of insoluble substances ; when the flux obtained with these compounds is treated with water and acid to dissolve it, a portion of the silica immediately appears in an insoluble form ; but it is entirely separated from the basigenic elements with which it was origin- ally combined, and the condition of insolubility of the substance is broken up. In order that this operation of fluxing shall be entirely suc- cessful, three conditions must be fulfilled : — The insoluble substance must be very finely pulverized in an agate mortar, till the powder does not feel gritty under the pes- tle; this proper pulverization requires much patience. The powder must be most carefully mixed with a large proportion of the reagent, not less than three or four times its own volume. This mixture must be kept in a state of fusion for not less than fifteen to thirty minutes. The fusion is best performed in a platinum vessel of some kind ; porcelain might itself be attacked by the flux ; the heat of a blast lamp is necessary. 45. Evaporation. This operation comes into use very often in analytical work, to make a solution more concentrated, or to free it from some ingredient that would interfere with opera- tions to follow, or to get a solid from the substance held in solution. Evidently, the larger the surface exposed for the escape of 32 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 46-47- vapor, in proportion to the mass of the liquid, the greater the rapidity of the evaporation ; and since the rate of evaporation is more rapid, the less there is of the vapor of the solvent in the air over the surface of the liquid, the more frequently this air, more or less laden with the vapor, is replaced by fresh air, the faster the evaporation will proceed. The porcelain evaporator is the utensil most frequently employed for this purpose ; in such a shallow dish the surface is large, and the vapor-laden air is readily removed by air currents passing over. A flask or a nearly covered beaker is most unsuitable for evaporation, for plain reasons ; if the flask is laid over on its side evaporation will proceed more rapidly than if it is upright ; or, if, while upright, a continuous current of air is forced into it, the evaporation will proceed quite satisfactorily. 46. In all quantitative work there must be no loss of substance. From the surface of a boiling liquid, even if the boiling is very quiet, minute particles of the solution are constantly projected upward and obliquely, some of which will fall outside of the dish, unless the surface of the liquid is much below its rim ; therefore, in all work of this kind evaporation must be con- ducted without boiling the liquid, unless it is in a deep beaker, or in a flask laid on its side ; in this last case the projected par- ticles strike the upper side of the flask, and are soon washed back again by the condensed vapor flowing down. As the evaporation nears the end, and some of the solid matter is deposited, the sputtering of the thickened liquid may become so violent that small masses of the substance may be projected out even from a deep beaker. Even in qualitative analysis, where the loss by the boiling of the liquid may be disregarded, this closing part of the operation must be conducted with care ; more loss may be suffered than can be afforded ; and, moreover, particles of the substance thrown out may fall into solutions near by, and thus do serious damage to other work. 47. Ignition. A residue left by evaporation, or a precipitate, must sometimes be subjected to a stronger heat than is attainable in a solution, that is it must be ignited. This operation must be performed in a crucible, or, if-the quantity is small, on a plati- num foil. It cannot be done in an evaporator without risk of breakage. Therefore, when the residue from an evaporation is to be ignited, with a spatula transfer it to the crucible while it is still in a pasty condition, dry it over a direct, low flame, and then proceed with the ignition, gently or strongly, as may be directed. § 48.] MANIPULATIONS. 33 48. Acidification, alkalization, neutralization, adding a reagent in excess. It is often directed that a solution shall be made acid, alkaline, or neutral before proceeding further. With refer- ence to acidification, this does not mean that the liquid shall be made strongly acid, unless specially so stated, but rather that, if alkaline or neutral, acid shall be added slowly, and with con- stant stirring, or mixing in some other way, only till the reaction is clearly acid to the test paper ; and the same is true as to making a solution alkaline. The proper mode of procedure, therefore, is to add the reagent in small portions at a time, care- fully mixing each portion as added, and frequently applying a drop of liquid to the test paper ; when the reaction indicates an excess of the reagent, a little more may safely be added, in order to be sure of enough. The mode of procedure is similar for making a liquid alkaline. Since ammonia is the reagent com- monly used for this purpose, the careful mixing is all the more essential, as it is lighter than water or any solution of salts or acids, and will tend to float on the surface of such a solution ; on dipping the test paper into the liquid, or taking a drop out on a glass rod and touching it to the paper, the reaction might be Strongly alkaline, even with a strongly acid liquid in the lower part of the tube. When this reagent is used to neutralize acidity, as soon as the liquid smells strongly of it, after the thorough mixture has been made, one can be sure that the liquid is alka- line. When a solution made alkaline by an excess of an alkaline carbonate, NaaCOg, K2CO3, or (NH^^jCOs, is to be made acid, as soon as the addition of the acid does not cause decided effer- vescence, due to the escape of carbon dioxide, the same precau- tions being taken as to the careful mixing in of each portion of acid added, the condition of acidity is probably reached ; but in any case the final test with litmus paper should never be omitted. One can never afford any uncertainty in regard to the matter. When the liquid to be treated is in a test tube, the mixing can be most easily done simply by pouring it back and forth from one tube to another. Addition of a reagent in excess. Directions are often given to •add a reagent in excess; but unless the desired excess is specially stated to be large, which is rarely the case, it is not meant that a great quantity of it is to be added. If it is an acid or an alkali that is added, it should be known, by the use of test papers, when it is first in slightest excess, as directed above ; then the further addition of a quantity of the reagent equal to about one- 3 34 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 49-5°- tenth of the volume of the solution, will usually suffice. If it is a precipitating reagent that is added, then it should be known when the precipitation is first complete ; then a further addition of one-tenth, as above described, will be sufficient. 49. Precipitaiion. This operation, the eduction of a solid substance from solutions, as the result of some metathesis, is the most important one in analytical chemistry. The reagent used is commonly called the precipitant. Qualitative analysis consists almost entirely in the production of precipitates for one purpose or another, and generally under certain prescribed conditions. In order that the result sought for shall always be obtained, the conditions prescribed in each case must be fulfilled — such as neutrality, or acidity, or alkalinity of the solution, precipitation with heat or without, with time given for the reaction to be completed or not. Especially in quantitative analysis, the conditions under which the precipita- tion is to be made, are usually very precisely indicated, since in that kind of work the completeness in the reaction is of the utmost importance. But this matter of completeness of precipitation is in many cases of no less importance in qualitative analysis, as in the separation of groups of substances from one another, or of removing one substance from the solution that may interfere with the detection of another. Therefore, in the very beginning of his work, whether such beginning is made in qualitative or quantitative analysis, the student has to learn to be careful in the preparation of his solutions for precipitation, and in the management of the precipitation itself. 50. Description of precipitates. Precipitates are distinguished as having this or that color, or, as to structure, as being crystal- line, pulverulent, or flocculent. A crystalline precipitate is usually characterized by the property of sinking rapidly to the bottom and leaving a com- paratively clear supernatant liquid. Sometimes a precipitate is so finely crystalline as to show only a glistening shimmer when present in very small quantity in a liquid that is gently disturbed. Precipitates that take the crystalline form will usually appear sooner if the liquid is strongly agitated ; some- times such agitation is almost necessary to start their formation, as in precipitation of morphia by ammonia. A pulverulent precipitate is very fine, usually not settling quickly nor leaving a clear, supernatant liquid. One that is §§5I-S3-] MANIPULATIONS. 35 pulverulent, if produced quickly and in large quantity, may be plainly crystalline if formed slowly and in small quantity, as may be seen sometimes in the formation of the precipitate of ammonium magnesium phosphate. The more insoluble a pre- cipitate is in the liquid in which it is produced, the more it inclines to the pulverulent rather than crystalline character; but even some of the most insoluble precipitates, as barium sulfate, will, if produced only in traces, exhibit the glistening appearance above mentioned, as indicating crystalline structure. ' 51. A fiocculent or flaky precipitate, sometimes defined as woolly-looking, never presents this glistening appearance, how- ever slowly formed. It settles slowly, and occupies much more space than a crystalline or pulverulent precipitate. It is often separated from the liquid by filtration only with difficulty. It is sometimes translucent, so that, if at the same time colorless, it is almost invisible till gathered together in masses; of this character the precipitate of aluminum hydroxid is an example. Precipitates will usually collect together and settle to the bottom more quickly, and be more easily filtered out, if the ' liquid containing them is hot. 52. According as a precipitation is made simply for the detection of a substance in a solution, by the appearance under the prescribed conditions, of a precipitate of a certain form or color, or is made for the separation of one or more substances from others, the manner of making it differs. In the former case, the first appearance of the precipitate suffices, and any fur-- ther addition of the reagent is useless, except when there is necessity for getting a large quantity of the product for confirma- tory tests. But in the other case, the addition of the reagent must be continued as long as a precipitate is formed ; and this cessation of further precipitation must be determined beyond all doubt by adding a few drops of the precipitant, either to the supernatant liquid clarified by standing for the precipitate to settle, or to a portion of the liquid filtered from the precipitate ; sometimes it is necessary to give time for the completion of the reaction, even after no further precipitation is shown by testing as above. 53. Digestion. In order that a chemical reaction, and espe- cially an operation of solution or precipitation, shall .be com- plete, it is often necessary to leave the substance and reagent in contact for a time. This is commonly called digestion. Usually heat is applied, but not always; in this case we speak of 36 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 54-55- digestion in the cold. Digestion at a boiling temperature is sometimes specified ; but this is too often incorrectly con- strued as vigorous boiling, while it means only that the liquid shall be kept just at the boiling temperature. 54. Boiling. Rapid boiling of liquids is required only when they are to be quickly evaporated, or some product is to be dis- tilled off. It is very rarely necessary in qualitative work, and is to be avoided unless specially called for. A clear liquid can usually be boiled without any trouble, in a beaker, flask, or evaporator; but in a test tube, especially if half full or more, the vapor does not escape in a continuous stream of small bubbles, but in very large ones, often, which are formed suddenly, an& are very likely to propel a part of the liquid before them in their escape. When any solid matter is mixed with the liquid, and especially if the liquid is strongly alkaline, boiling without spurting is still more impracticable in a test-tube, and should never be at- tempted ; even in a flask, beaker, or evaporator it is not easily managed, and must be carefully watched, particularly when the quantity of liquid is small as compared with that of the solid ; by holding the lamp in the hand, and, with the flame very low, moving it in and out under the dish, without the intervention of a sand bath, thus keeping the mixture just at the simmering point, the whole object of the operation may be accomplished without danger. When there must be actual boiling for a time, as in the treatment of the precipitated chlorids of the silver group with water to dissolve out the lead chlorid, it is advisable to hold the flask by the test-tube holder and keep its contents in rapid motion by a movement of the hand in a small circle. 55. Filtration. It is usually necessary, after having made a precipitate, to separate it from the liquid, in order to perform some further operation with it. For this purpose, paper filters already cut are now supplied in every laboratory. To fit a filter in the proper manner, first fold it over so as to form a semicircle, and then again, forming a quadrant ; then open this quadrant in such a way that when it is pressed down into a funnel there is a continuous lining of the paper on the sides of the funnel of three thicknesses half way round and one thickness on the other half The filter should always be about half or a third of a centimeter smaller than the funnel when thus fitted into it. In preparing for the filtration, push the filter, opened as above described, down till its apex is in the throat of the funnel, and §§ 56-58.] MANIPULATIONS. 37 hold it there with the finger while wetting it with a jet of water from the wash-bottle ; then by gentle pressure with the finger fit it snugly to the walls of the funnel throughout. Tinie should be taken to carefully adjust the filter in this manner for every filtration. 56. Decantation before filtration. Filtration can often be made more quickly if the liquid is first digested at a gentle heat till the precipitate has settled, and the supernatant liquid is then carefully decanted off before putting the mass of the precipitate on the filter. If the work is qualitative and nothing further is to be done with the liquid, the decantation can be made at once into the sink ; otherwise it should be made into the filter. 57. Washing precipitates. It is usually important to com- pletely free a precipitate from the substances in solution in the liquid from which it has been filtered, and with which its pores are filled. This washing may sometimes be partially done with advantage, by repeating the above described process of decantation, two or three times, pouring boiling water over the precipitate, stirring it up well and decanting again after a little time, and so on, and finally washing once or twice after the precipitate has been put on the filter. When, however, it is crystalline pulverulent, and filters quickly, it may as well be thrown on the filter at once and washed there. In all cases use hot water, unless otherwise directed, for with this the washing is sooner finished ; and use only distilled water. In qualitative work the washings need not be saved ; but they often must be preserved in quantitative work. The completion of the washing may be tested for in two ways : first, by evaporating a drop of the washings to dryness on a watch glass, at a gentle heat ; no residue, or in qualitative work only a slight one, should be left on the spot where the drop was : second, by testing about a cubic centimeter of the washings for some substance which one may know to be in the solution, and for which there is some very delicate test. Such a substance is a chlorid, which is usually present in qualitative solutions, from the hydrochloric acid that has been added in some previous operation ; the silver test for chlorin, after acidification of the liquid with nitric acid is exceedingly delicate. 58. Dissolving precipitates. This often necessary operation, especially in qualitative work, may be done simply by dropping the solvent over the precipitate in the filter, when heat or 38 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 59-60. digestion is not required ; when two or three cubic centimeters of the solvent have run through, this may be again poured through the filter, if the solution is not complete, thus avoiding the use of a large excess of acid. If the precipitate must be removed from the filter, take the latter from the funnel by slipping the spatula under it, open it on the piece of window glass that is in the set of apparatus, and scrape the precipitate off with the spatula. 59. Cleanliness in the laboratory. Reasonable cleanliness of apparatus and work table is much more conducive- to good re- sults than the extreme slovenliness that is often seen. Every piece of apparatus must be clean within before a liquid is put into it that is under treatment for analysis ; if not clean, then the constituents of the dirt that was on the walls of the vessel are liable to be added to the solution, and to be reported as a part of the substance analyzed. Unless a piece of glassware is clean on the outside, it cannot be known whether it is clean on the inside. The cleaning is never more easy than immediately after the apparatus has been used ; and it is liable to be more difficult if put off for days. Therefore, the student should never leave the laboratory for the day without having first cleansed every soiled piece of apparatus that is not in actual use, finishing the operation by rinsing each piece off with a little distilled water. By the use of a little strong hydrochloric or nitric acid, pouring the same portion from one piece to another, intractable dirt may often be dissolved. While the student is at work his table should be kept neat, everything spilled by accident or otherwise being at once washed off with a sponge and an abundance of water. If acid comes in contact with the clothing, the spot should as soon as possible be saturated with a few drops of ammonia. Strong nitric acid on woolen cloth makes a permanent yellow stain unles^ immediately neutralized ; sulfuric acid if not neutralized, even if dilute at first, becomes more and more con- centrated by the slow evaporation of the water, and finally the cloth is corroded ; hydrochloric acid leaves only a red stain, easily removed by ammonia. 60. Rapidity of work. Much time will be spent in accom- plishing little work, unless the student is always careful to keep as many operations in progress as he can manage without making mistakes. Early in his course of practice he should seek in this way to make the best possible use of his time in the laboratory. § 6o.] MANIPULATIONS. 39 The teacher's estimate of the proficiency of the student must be based on the amount of good work accomplished in the amount of time that is given to the practice. Therefore, there should never be any idle waiting for a precipitation, tedious filtration, or any other slow operation to be completed ; some other operation should be started. If the work is qualitative, two substances can be carried along at once ; or, the constituents being separated into groups if the analysis is one covering the entire course, two or more groups can be worked along together. In many ways the student who is really in earnest, meaning to do the best that he can with his time, can get over much more ground without slighting any part of his work, than he will if he gives this mat- ter of rapid work no serious thought. If every stage of the work is properly labeled, trusting nothing to the memory, none of the mistakes need be made that might seriously lessen the gain in progress. PART II. THE SYSTEMATIC COURSE OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS. CHAPTER VII. THE MODE OF PROCEDURE IN GENERAL. 6i. Introduction. This course in qualitative analysis is, in many respects, similar to that of Fresenius. The same grouping of substances is followed, although under different names ; the name of a familiar member of each group applied to it is more easily remembered, and conveys somewhat more of meaning than a mere number. Usually the methods of separating the members of each group from each other, and of detecting them, are the same as those given by Fresenius. But the work is much abridged, in order that it may be completed in a reasonably satisfactory manner in the short time that can be allowed for the study in some of the University courses, and to make it possible for the student in these courses to devote a little attention to quantitative analysis, some knowledge of which may be of more importance to him than a fuller acquaintance with qualitative methods. To the student who intends to make a special study of chemistry, the full course given in Fresenius, or in Prescott and Johnson, is none too extended ; and for guidance in the more difficult parts of the analysis, he must refer to these com- prehensive works. Whatever is peculiar to the course of analysis given here, has been thoroughly tested by practical use for many years in the chemical laboratory of Cornell University. This experience has shown that with strict following of the directions laid down, the careful student will from the beginning commit but few errors, and will readily learn how to make a correct analysis of any mix- ture containing the more commonly occurring elements. 40 § 62. J MODE OB' PROCEDURE. 41 62. The grouping of the substances tested for. The substances that are tested for in all ordinary schemes of qualitative analy- sis are of two classes, the acidigenic and the basigenic elements or groups, or, as they are called in other works, the acids and bases. Of the acidigens, or acids, a small number can be asso- ciated together by their common property of being precipitated in a neutral solution, as barium salts ; and another group con- sists of those that give a precipitate with silver nitrate in a solu- tion acidified with nitric acid. In other words, the barium salts of the members of the group first mentioned are insoluble in water, and the silver salts of the members of the other group are insoluble in dilute nitric acid. But this grouping has no such significance as there is in the grouping of the basigens, as the student will understand much more clearly after he has completed his qualitative work ; neither the barium nor the silver group of acidigens is separated out by itself, in any scheme of analysis, for the purpose of testing for each member of the group in the precipitate thus obtained. The analysis for the acids consists mostly of a succession of inde- pendent tests applied to the original substance, or to a solution of the substance prepared by boiling with sodium carbonate, so as to have only sodium salts in the solution to be worked with. The only use of this grouping is to determine by a single brief test whether any acid of one or the other group is present, thus making it possible in some cases to omit the whole series of the tests required to prove the presence or absence of the several members of one or both groups. On the other hand, a very im- portant part of the analysis for the bases consists in their separa- tion into six groups : the members of each one of these groups being allied in so far as they possess at least one common prop- erty, as to insolubility of certain of their compounds in water or in acids of different degrees of dilution, by which they may be thus brought out together. Each group is then, perhaps, subdi- vided, sometimes by difference in respect to solubility in some other active agent than an acid ; and, finally, each member of the group is so far isolated as may be necessary to make a final confirmatory test for its presence or absence. The substances thus brought out of the solution in company are often not at all chemically allied ; consequently the analytical grouping is in some cases not so sharply defined as to avoid all overlapping of groups. While this measure of unlikeness may facilitate the sub-grouping of elements, on the other hand, ^ when 42 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 63-65. members of the same group are closely allied, their separation and identification may be very difficult; of this, nickel and cobalt, in the iron group, furnish a striking example. The whole course of the analysis is thus divided into eight principal stages, of which the examination for the acidigens or acids is the first. See Table at end of this chapter. With reference to the basigens we have three classes of com- pounds that are commonly made use of for grouping purposes, namely, chlorids, sulfids, and carbonates. Of these the sulfids are so important in analytical work as to be worthy of the special consideration of their more important properties. THE SULFIDS. 63. These may be produced by fusion of metals with sulfur, or by the action of hydrogen sulfid or of solutions of soluble sulfids on metallic salts in solution. They are distinguished : — a. For their different degrees of solubility in (i) water, (2) acids, (3) other solvent liquids. b. For their different degrees of susceptibility to oxidation. c. For their variety of color. 64. Solubility of the sulfids. Most of the sulfids of the basigens are insoluble in water, only those of the potassium and calcium groups being soluble. The sulfids of the iron group of metals differ much in solu- bility in dilute acids, as the behavior of nickel, cobalt, and zinc sulfids shows, in the course of the separation of the members of this group from one another. The sulfids of the metals of the aluminum group are in their nascent state decomposed by water, forming hydroxids and hydrogen sulfid. All the remaining sulfids are insoluble, not only in water but in at least moderately strong mineral acids ; some of them are insoluble even in strong acid, and the metal contained in them can be brought into solution only through attack by strong oxidizing agents. Thus, it is seen, we have every grade, from easy solubility of the alkaline sulfids in water, to insolubility in the strongest acid of sulfids of some metals of the copper and tin groups. Hence, in part, the great importance of the sulfids in analytical chem- istry. 65. Certain elements (tin group) are capable of forming with § 66. J MODE OF PROCEDURE. 43 oxygen a lower oxid that is basigenic and a higher oxid that is acidigenic. Similar compounds are formed in which sulfur takes the place of oxygen ; and, as nearly all salts of the alkaline metals are soluble, we may have soluble alkaline salts of these metals in which all the oxygen is replaced by sulfur, as, for instance, (NH^)sAs03, ammonium arsenite, and (NH4)3AsS3, ammonium sulfarsenite. Remembering that the formulas of the oxygen salts of the acids formed from these elements are as follows, it is easy to see the relation of the sulfo-salts of the tin group to them : M3ASO3 ; MaAsOi ; MaSbO, ; MjSnOa. M in these formulas stands for any monad basigen. These sulfo-salts are readily formed by simple treatment of the solutions of compounds of these elements, or their freshly pre- cipitated sulfids, by solutions of alkaline sulfids, especially such as have an excess of sulfur, as (NH4)2Si, for example. Hence, the easy and nearly complete separation by means of ammonium sulfid of the tin group elements from those of the copper group. It is worthy of notice that, in this treatment, the action of the (NH4)2S, on the antimonous and stannous sulfids corresponds in its character to one of oxidation ; for, from these " ous " sulfids there is formed the sulfo-salt corresponding to the antimoniate or the stannate, and the sulfid precipitated by acid from the solution of the sulfo-salt is antimon/V or stannzV sulfid. 66. Oxidation of the sulfids. In the sulfids we have two elements both of which are capable of combining with oxygen, but the metal usually more eagerly than the sulfur. In nearly all cases a nitrate of the metal is formed, if nitric acid is used as the oxidizing agent; if the nitrate is not formed it is either because of the production of a higher oxide of the metal not basigenic, or because, the sulfate of the metal being insoluble, that is formed, to the entire or partial exclusion of the nitrate. If the metal is capable of forming more than one oxid and series of salts, whether it be the lower or the higher oxid depends upon the conditions of the oxidation ; if the sulfid is in excess and no heat is employed, a nitrate of the lower oxid may be the product ; ordinarily an excess of acid and heat are employed, yielding a salt of the higher oxid. Nickel and cobalt sulfids are exceptions, giving only the lower oxid salts. The sulfur of the sulfids is mostly set free as a precipitate, which in a hot liquid is liable to fuse together in small globules that resist oxidation with much obstinacy. Even when the sul- fate of the metal is soluble, some of the sulfur is oxidized to sul- 44 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 67-69. furic acid, and some of this sulfate is formed together with the nitrate which is the chief product. However, it is usual in writing the equations for these reactions to assume, unless it is otherwise stated, that all the sulfur is set free, and only nitrate of the metal formed, at least in the first part of the reaction, as illus- trated in the following equation : — 3PbS + 8HNO3 = 3Pb(NO.O, + 4HiO + 2NO + 3S. Occasionally a sulfid is so susceptible to oxidation as to suffer change by simple exposure to the oxygen of the air, or to the free oxygen dissolved in the water used to wash the precipitate. 67. Chlorination of the sulfids. When a sulfid is attacked in the presence of water by reagents setting chlorin free, oxidation may be the result by oxygen from decomposed water; but, especially if the chlorin be in excess and heat is applied, chlorin- ation may also take place ; and if the metal forms more than one chlorid the higher one is produced. Most of the sulfids are converted into chlorids by simple treatment with more or less concentrated hydrochloric acid, with evolution of hydrogen sul- fids ; but this is metathesis rather than chlorination ; in the latter case, as in oxidation, sulfur is set free. 68. Reduction of sulfids. Just as oxids may be reduced by nascent hydrogen, which takes the oxygen to form water, so sul- fids, subjected to the same treatment (with zinc and sulfuric acid), may be reduced, HjS being formed instead of HjO, and set free. Thus some sulfids may be decomposed that are with difficulty broken up in other ways. THE HYDROXIDS (OR HYDRATES). 69. By the action of solutions of hydroxids on salts of other metals in solution, a class of reactions is produced of great im- portance in analytical work : the normal product of the reaction is a hydroxid of the metal acted upon. , Regarding this action as normal in all cases where with all three of the alkaline hydroxids, KOH, NaOH, and NH4OH, insol- uble hydroxids are produced of normal composition, such as Fe(OH)j, Zn(0H)2, A1(0H)3, it is strictly normal with the metals of the aluminum group, and those of the iron group except cobalt, which yields a basic salt ; with some metals of the copper and tin groups the result is more or less irregular ; only with bis- muth, cadmium, copper, and tin (ous) is it fully normal, but in § 7°-] MODE OF PROCEDURE. 45 the case of copper only when the reagent is added just to satura- tion : with lead and the _/?«!?(/ hydroxids, KOH, NaOH, it is regu- lar, but NH,OH yields basic salts, PbOCl^, or PbsO^OHNOs, according to the acid of the lead salt. With silver, AgjO is precipitated, and with salts of mercury and the fixed alkalies in excess, HgjO or HgO : with NHiOH, compounds are pro- duced in which a part or all of the hydrogen of the NH, is re- placed by mercury : these new compounds play the part of a basigenic body, like the ammonium, and remain in combination with the acid of the mercury salt. Example, N g^^ NO3 N g| CI, NH&NO,, according as Hg is monad (mercurous) or dyad (mercuric). With arsenic compounds, soluble salts of the alkaline metals are formed, arsenites and arsenates, and of course no precipi- tates ; with antimonous compounds, SbjO., is precipitated ; with antimonic compounds, soluble antimoniates are formed, or an insoluble antimoniate, NaSbOj: with stannic salts (stannates), stannic acid, HgSnOs, is precipitated. With gold only NHjOH gives a precipitate, and that has a peculiar composition, (NH3)2 AU2O3. Platinum in the form of chlorid gives with KOH and NH4OH -insoluble double chlorids, of great value in the quanti- tative estimation of potassium and ammonium, aKCl.PtCliand aNHjCLPtCli: NaOH gives a precipitate of Na^PtOs. The reactions with the hydroxids are seen to be more and more varied as we pass up to the tin group, where the elements tend to yield acidigenic oxides even in their lower degrees of oxidation ; and the reaction in such cases has little analytical value. 70. Solubility of the hydroxids. All the normal hydroxids are insoluble in water, except those of the potassium group, and of barium, strontium, and calcium of the calcium group ; all are soluble in dilute acids, forming salts of the acids used. Most of them when freshly precipitated are soluble in solutions of either KOH, NaOH, or NH^OH ; but only one, Zn(0H)2, is soluble in both a fixed and a volatile hydroxid, meaning by the latter ammonium hydroxid. New compounds are produced by this solution, differing so widely in form for different metals, that no general formula can be given for them ; some of these formulas are given later. Owing to this property of the hydroxids, we may have 46 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 71-74- two metatheses produced by one reagent, an insoluble product being formed first, which is afterward dissolved by an excess of the precipitant, with the formation of a second new compound that is soluble in water. 71. Behavior when heated. All the hydroxids, except those of the potassium group, are decomposed by heat, with the formation of an oxid of the metal, and water. In some cases this decomposition takes place even in boiling water. THE FINAL TESTS. 72. One after the other, the presence or the absence of each substance to be tested for is proved by a final characteristic test, after it has been, if present, more or less completely isolated. Some of the reactions of these tests are so unique that they can be made in the presence of all the other members of the group, or even in the original solution, without regard to anything else that may be present : this is the case with many of the tests for the acids after they have been separated from all the bases except the alkalies by the transposition with sodium carbonate. The final tests for gold, platinum, copper, and iron are excellent illustrations of such as are not interfered with by the presence of other members of the groups to which they severally belong. 73. In these final tests we have two general classes of. reac- tions : — a. Color reactions, among which are some of the most deli- cate, marked, and unmistakable in use. Often nothing can interfere with their production. We may get them in : — (i) solution products; (2) precipitates from solution ; (3) fusion products, on the foil or in the borax bead ; (4) flame tests. b. Precipitates without any marked color, usually white. The main safeguard against error, in the interpretation of results in such cases, is to have the conditions under which the precipitates are obtained, precisely as laid down in the direc- tions for obtaining them. THE COURSE OF ANALYSIS. 74. Order of the arrangement of the work. Beginning with the acidigen group, Chap. IX, the student reads over the description of the reactions of the first acid taken up, and writes out the equations explaining those reactions ; he then tries the reaction or § 74-J MODE OF PROCEDURE. 47 reactions given in italics ; that is, to a small quantity, one or two cubic centimeters, of a solution containing a salt of the acid under consideration, in a test tube, he adds a small quantity of the reagent, precisely in the manner described in the account of the reaction, and compares the results obtained with the descrip- tion of the result that should be obtained ; only in this way can he become so acquainted with the reactions described, that he will surely recognize them when he may meet with them again in the actual analysis of an unknown substance. The italicized reactions are those specially characteristic of each substance, made use of each time that it is tested for ; a thorough, personal acquaintance with them is therefore of great importance. The other reactions come into use only in the separation of sub- stances from one another, or as occasional confirmatory tests in doubtful cases. This work having been carefully performed with every sub- stance in the group, the student then makes a mixture contain- ing all the substances of which he has tried the characteristic reactions, and proceeds to analyze it according to the directions for the analysis for acids, § 85. To simplify this part of the work with respect to the large group of the acids, by reducing the number of tests to be made in one solution, a mixture containing salts of only the barium group may be analyzed by itself, then a mixture containing only the silver group, with nitric acid added, and finally a mixture of the organic acids. In doing this work he should get, clearly and unmistakably, the final, characteristic, reaction of every substance ; if he does not, he should repeat so much of the work as may be required to bring out this reaction ; evidently he is not prepared to take up the analysis of a substance whose composition is unknown to him, if there is any possible constituent of it which he should find, but cannot even when he has put it in himself and knows that it is present. The student should then study carefully the explanation of the chemistry of the work on the acidigens in § 84. He is not fully prepared to do the best that is possible for him, in the analysis of an unknown substance, till he has learned the reasons for all the steps of the work, and is fully posted as to the special precautions that may be necessary to avoid errors. Being then ready for the actual analysis of an unknown substance, this work is first done for the acidigens only ; when 48 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ ^(>■ the required proficiency has been attained, the student passes on to the first group of the basigens or metals, those precipitable by silver nitrate from a solution acidified with nitric acid, going through with the same series of preliminary operations and study, before analyzing the unknown substances containing the members of this group, and so on through all the groups in succession. Here, however, the work with his own solution begins with sub-section b of the section headed, " Preparation and Analysis of the Silver Group Precipitate," and follows this and sub-section c, headed "Analysis of the Silver Group Pre- cipitate," with its table, to the end. Then comes the study of sub-section a of the same section on the chemistry, of the analysis. The same course is followed with each of the other groups fol- lowing. Finally comes the test of the thoroughness with which the several groups have been studied, in the analysis of sub- stances in which the presence or absence of all the members of all the groups has to be proved. The following tabular view of the comjjlete course of analysis of a substance may be useful as a general guide in this part of the work. CHAPTER VIII. THE PREPARATION OF THE SOLUTION OF THE SUBSTANCE. 76. As nearly all the work of the analysis, for both acidigens and basigens is done with solutions, the matter of the suitable preparation of these solutions is a very important one. The solutions for the acidigens. a. To I gm. of the original substance, finely powdered, add 15 c.c. of a concentrated solution of NajCOj and boil ten minutes, replacing the water as it evaporates, dilute to 30 c.c. and filter if a residue remains. This solution or filtrate contains all the acids of the substance except possibly phosphoric, hydrofluoric and silicic acids ; mark it A, and test separate portions for the other acids as directed in §85. 6. Acidify a small portion of A with HjSO,. The formation of a yellow or orange ppt. shows the presence of metals of the a •a J3 o O 1) •" . ■ V -O tS l-H in O 'O »^ > "53 .3 n (M w tn C -35 O -i] o o *- o a O V Vi -l-i ]X. a. ■I.S - T3 li^ IN " ffi' 1^ Q 15! 13 .i! "2 2 f .a 2 W _ 4> >« O ii S - H ■" o -K 3 rt o o a 2 t, ■» £ a .s a. so no ■ fc^a rn ^ O - " Pi «iO ^ 0) "^ ri rt v: u -.S -o 3 U "o £ "3 o " -3 I c o . I ■« -a a a J ^ ? 01 Eliu ■ 2 i^w 00 .S ^ «; 2 ■ ^ "^l i^ O " 3 ",S C/3 .t/3 ?. - ';;'^ 3 3 fl j3 in S Xj cncn, fioc- culent, green, soluble in NH4OH ; i ^s ox idizedJayJ^L-in pres- ence'~of NaOH to Ni(0H)3J when this compound, nickelic hydroxid, is boiled with NH4OH it is reduced, with evolution of nitrogen, to Ni(0H)2, and dissolved. To the borax bead nickel compounds give a brown color. To make this test, heat the clean loop of the platinum wire in the lamp flame, and then quickly dip it into powdered borax ; fuse this mass in the flame, heating gently at first till the effef- vescence becomes moderate, and finally to redness ; if the bead is thin, dip it into the borax again while hot, and fuse again, and repeat till a full oval bead is obtained ; then heat it again with a small quantity of the substance to be tested adhering to it, till the bead is clear. If too much substance is taken the bead may be opaque ; in such a case break it, and fuse a part of it in a new bead. Cobalt; Co: — May be met with as metal, and as cobalt salts. Reactions : — (NH4)2S ppts. from alkaline or neutral solutions cobalt sulfid, CoS, fiocculent, black, insoluble in cold HCl, soluble in hot HNO3 ; it is not soluble in excess of (NH4)2S. NHjOH and NaOH ppt. cobaltous hydroxid, CoCOH)^, with properties similar to those of nickelous hydroxid ; but the corres- ponding cobaltic hydroxid, Co(OH)a, is not reduced by boiling withNH^OH. To the borax bead cobalt compounds give a deep blue color ; the test is very delicate. Iron; Fe : — To be met with as metal, ferrous and ferric oxids, insoluble, and as ferrous and ferric salts. Reactions : — Ferrous salts. HNO3 oxidizes ferrous to ferric salts. (NH4)2S ppts. immediately from alkaline or neutral solutions ferrous sulfid, FeS, fiocculent, black, turning grayish on expos- § 92. J THE IRON GROUP. 85 ure to the air, by oxidation and separation of sulfur, soluble in dilute mineral acids. This oxidation of the sulfid leads to the formation of FeSOi, and finally a basicferric salt, Fe20(S04)2. NH4OH and NaOH ppt. ferrous hydroxid, Fe(OH)j, dirty green, changing to reddish-brown, Fe(0H)3, on exposure to the air. iBaCOs does not ppt. this hydroxid/except from" solutions b£-±li&-9ttlphat©v. J ^ K^FeCy^ and K^FeCy^give blue ppts. (see reactions of hydro- ferrocyanic and hydroferricyanic acids). KCyS gives no reaction. Ferric salts. — HjS reduces ferric to ferrous salts, with sepa- ration of sulfur, but in alkaline solutions ppts. FeS. (NH4)2S ppts. from neutral or alkaline solutions ferrous sulfid, FeS (see ferrous reactions), with separation of sulfur. NH4OH or BaCOs ppts. ferric hydroxid, Fe(0H)3, flocculent, reddish-brown, soluble in acids. K^FeCye ppts. from neutral or acid solutions Fe4(FeCye)3 (see hydroferrocyanic acid reactions). KjFeCye gives no ppt. KCyS gives ferric sulfocyanate, Fei^CyS)^, soluble, deep red; this test is very delicate. Manganese; Mn : — To be met with in' alloys, as oxids and as salts of manganese. Reactions : — (NH4)2S ppts. from neutral or alkaline solutions manganous sulfid, MnS, flocculent, flesh colored, changing to brown on exposure to the air by oxidation, soluble in dilute acids, including HCjHgOj. NHjOH ppts. a part of the manganese in a solution as manganous hydroxid, white, turning brown on exposure to the air by oxidation to MnOOH. The rest of the manganese, remaining at first in solution as an ammonium salt, is gradually pptd. on standing exposed to the air, as this second hydroxid. BaCOs does not ppt. this hydroxid in the cold/except from solutions of MnSOi- j^ Fused with Na^ COi and KNO^ compounds of manganese give a dark green color to the fused mass, by formation of sodium manganate, NajMnOi. Zinc; Zn : — To be met with as metal, as oxid, and as zinc salts. Reactions : — (N'If^)2S ppts. from neutral or alkaline solutions, zinc sulfid, ZnS, white, soluble in cold HCl, slightly soluble in HCjHjOa. 86 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 93. NH4OH ppts. zinc hydroxid, Zn(0H)2, flocculent, white, soluble in excess of precipitant, as (NH4)2Zn02, repptd. on boiling as Zn(0H)2. a BaCOs does not ppt. this hydroxidj except from solutions of the sulfate. 93. Preparation and analysis of the group precipitate. a. Chemistry of the work on this group. This group precipitate contains also the members of the aluminum group that may be present, precipitated as hydroxids. The nickel and cobalt are separated from all the other mem- bers of both groups by the insolubility of their sulfids, in HCl of such dilution as will readily dissolve the other sulfids and the hydroxids. These two sulfids being then dissolved by stronger acid, the metals are separated, if separation is necessary, by the different behavior of their tri-hydroxids with ammonia, after they have been corjverted into nickelic and cobaltic salts by treatment with bromin. After the conversion of the iron into a sesquioxid salt by treatment of the group precipitate with HNO3, it is then sepa- rated, together with the aluminum and chromium, from the manganese and zinc by precipitation of the three as hydroxids by barium carbonate. This precipitate is used later for the tests for aluminum and chromium. We bring to this course a rather strongly acid solution charged with H2S. It contains all the bases of the potassium, calcium, aluminum, and iron groups, and the acids that were combined with these bases originally, except such as would be expelled on the treatment with strong acids, or converted by the reducing H2S into other forms. The first operation of the group precipitation, in 47, in the course of analysis following, consists in adding NH^OH in slight excess for the purpose of saving the (NH4)2S, to be added later, from decomposition by the acid present ; but even if this were not done, and the (NH4)2S were added at once, the final condition of the solution would be the same, namely, decidedly alkaline. The oxalates, phosphates, borates, silicates, and fluorids of the calcium group metals are insoluble in an § 93-] THE IRON GROUP. 87 alkaline liquid. The possibility is therefore evident of entirely missing metals of that group in their proper place, in the filtrate from the group precipitation for this table, if the solution is made alkaline while these acids are present. Considering in this course only two of these acids, that are perhaps most likely to be in the way in an ordinary qualitative analysis, one of them is removed at once by gaseous products of its oxidation. The other, not being so easily removed, has to be provided for as in 53 a. For the course of operations to be followed in case H3BO3, HF, or HjSiOg is also present, the student is referred to larger works, such as Fresenius, or Prescott and Johnson. Having evaporated the solution and ignited the residue, for the removal of the oxalic acid, ammonium salts are no longer present ; but NH4CI is necessary to prevent the precipitation of magnesium as hydroxid, and the consequent danger of missing it in its proper place. The addition of ammonia here will precipitate a small portion of the members of this group as hydroxids ; but a study of the work that follows, and comparison of the solubility of hydrox- ids and sulfids of the members of this group, will make it clear that these hydroxids cannot be left as such after the treatment . with (NH4)2S without leaving the way open to serious errors ; that, nevertheless, the precipitate formed by NHjOH can be left undissolved indicates another case of metathesis where only one of the reacting substances is in solution. All of the sulfids precipitated are quite insoluble in (NH4)2S except the NiS, which is slightly soluble ; on this account any unnecessary excess of the reagent should be avoided. Two of the sulfids, FeS and Co^ are liable to be oxidized to sulfate on exposure to the air, or'even perhaps by the oxygen dissolved in water (§ 66) : wasRing, as directed in 48 following, serves to avoid the error that one might fall into, if such oxida- tion were permitted, these sulfates being soluble in water. In the solution of such portion of the precipitate as is dissolved by HCl, the iron, in whatever form it was originally, is present now as a ferrous salt : but both for its final test and its precipita- tion by BaCOa in 53 b, it must be in the ferric form : only those hydroxids corresponding to the so-called sesquioxids, having the general form M2O3 in which M^ represents two atoms of a triad metal, are precipitated by BaCOs under the conditions of the 88 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 93- treatment by that reagent : hence the treatment with HNO3 in 52, Table VI. The separation of the PzOj from the metals of the calcium group is effected (53 a) on the following principle. In the presence of enough of the ferric salt to combine with all the P2O5 present, forming FePOj, on making the solution exactly neutral, all of this acid will be precipitated, while metals of the second group remain in solution. The exact neutrality is most easily secured by the presence of BaCOj, a portion of which is decomposed by any free acid present, with the formation of a neutral barium salt. Provision of sufficient ferric salt is secured by its addition till the red precipitate is obtained by ammonia : ferric phosphate is white: as long as there is not enough iron present to satisfy all the P2O5. only white FePOiWill be precipitated by the NH4OH ; as soon as there is more than enough^ the excess not going down as white phosphate is precipitated as reddish-brown hydroxid. This condition of the solution having been secured, the neutralization is nearly effected with (NH4)2C03, to save BaCOj ; but it must be left slightly acid, for any precipitate by excess of (NH4)2COs might contain metals to be tested, for under 54 and following sections ; then the BaCOj completes the neutralization for the precipitation of the phosphates, besides doing its other work of throwing down the aluminum, iron, and chromium as tri- hydroxids. Here again is an illustration of a metathesis in which one of the substances taking part in the reaction is a solid : and it is not, as in other cases previously noted, necessarily freshly pre- cipitated. When a liquid is added tp*a. liquid, the two may be at once intimately mixed by agitation* *Ad the conditions are right for the reaction to proceed .without further external assistance, the two substances being in intimate contact throughout ; but in this treatment with BaCOg the heavy solid soon settles to the bottom after agitation, and the desired reaction can go on directly only at the surface of contact between the particles of the reagent and that part of the solution at the bottom of the flask, ^nd indirectly in the rest of the liquid by the slow process of diffusion. Hence the importance of frequent agitation and considerable time for the full completion of the reaction. Since, if P2O5 is present, the metals -of the calcium group are § 93-] THE IRON GROUP. 89 to be tested for in the filtrate from the precipitate by BaCOs, and since for all the work of precipitation of iron, aluminum, and chromium actually done by this reagent a corresponding quantity of BaClj passes into solution, as will appear on writing out the equation for the reaction, barium cannot of course be tested for in this filtrate. Therefore a small portioR of the solution is so pre- , pared in 53 a, by taking advantage of the solubility of Ba8(P04)2 in acetic acid and the insolubility of the chromate, to get a solution in which barium can be tested for at once. Any part of the precipitate formed in the first part of this operation, and insoluble in acetic acid, would consist of phosphates of iron, aluminum, and chromium, i &. Preparation of the iron {and aluminum) group precipitate. 46. (ffl) Oxalic acid is absent : pass to 47. (6) Oxalic acid is present; add to the solution a little HNO3 and evaporate to complete dryness, in the hood, moisten the residue with HNO3, dry by gentle heat, and ignite gently ; dissolve this residue with a little hot HCl, filter if not clear, and add 2 c.c. of NH4CI and 25 to 30 c.c. of water. ^-^ 47. Add NH4OH till slightly alkaline, then whether a ppt. is formed or not add (NH4)2S and heat the mixture nearly to boil- ing. If no ppt. appears pass on to the Ca group, § 97, 6, If a ppt. does appear, filter and reserve the filtrate for the Ca group, § 97. &• 48. Precipitate. Wash immediately and very thoroughly with hot water to which a little (NH4)2S has been added. 90 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 93. C. The Analysis of the Iron Group Precipitate. TABLE VI a. Treat the ppt. either on the filter or after removal from it (see § 58) with 5 to 15 c.c (according to quantity of ppt.) oi dilute HCl (i cone, acid to 10 of water), with special care to bring all parts of the ppt. in contact with the acid, by stirring. Filter if necessary, and reserve filtrate for Table VI ^. 49. Residue. Any residue remaining here should be black ; if it is not, it must be treated with more HCl as directed in 48. If black it may consist of NiS and CoS. If the filtrate 47 has a deep brown color Ni may safely be put down as present in the sub- stance analyzed. If the borax bead is colored blue by fusion with a portion of this residue Co is also present ; if only a light brown or a nearly colorless bead is obtained Co is absent. If Ni and Co are found by these tests, pass on to Table VI b. If the filtrate 47 is not brown, or if in testing for cobalt with the borax bead the color was so dark a brown owing to the presence of much nickel that the cobalt color might have been masked, proceed as follows. To the residue 49 in an evaporator, add HCl and a few drops of HNOs, boil, in the hood, till the liquid is nearly evaporated, add NaOH till strongly alkaline and then a quan- tity of bromin solution equal to the volume of the liquid in the dish, boil for a few minutes and filter, rejecting the filtrate; wash the ppt., return it to the evaporator, add NH4OH, boil again, and filter if a residue remains. 50. Filtrate. Add HjS. A black ppt. indicates Ni. A mere slight brown coloration may be due to Co, if its presence in con- siderable quantity is indicated by the bead test. 51. Residue. Test ioxCo with borax bead. Pass on to Table VI iJ. §93-J THE IRON GROUP. 91 C. Analysis of the Iron Group Precipitate, concluded. TABLE VI b. 52. Filtrate from Residue 19. Boil to expel HjS, add a few drops of HNO3 and boil agajn. To a small portion of this solution add NH4CNS. A red color shows Fe. A slight tinge of red is given by very small traces of iron, the test being very delicate. 53 a. Phosphate is present. 53 h. Phosphate is not present. To a small portion of the solution add NH^OH till alkaline, then acetic acid till acid, filter if a ppt. ap- pears, and test the filtrate for Ba with K2Cr20, and HjSOi.as in Table VIII. To the remainder of the solu- tion (62) add Fed 3 till a drop gives a brownish red ppt. with NH^OH and pro- ceed as in 53 6, the PjOj being now removed. Concentrate the solution to a small bulk, nearly neutralize it with (NH4)2C03, (if a permanent ppt. forms on addition of (NH4)2C03, it mustjjs^ redissolved with a drop of HCl), trajjsferro^ a small flask, add about 10 ccof-EaCOg, shake the mixture nrraiinnnlly] -fffFrr s«venil'~bcuu:s. filter, and reserve the contents of the filter for the Al group, Table VIII, after washing two or three times with hot water. 54. Filtrate. To a portion add acetic acid and then H^S. A white ppt., soluble in HCl shows Zn. 55. Evaporate another small portion carefully to dryness in the platinum cup, and fuse the residue with a mixture of equal parts of Na2C03 and KNO3. A bluish-green color in the fused mass shows Mn. Phosphate was present, 56 a, and Mn and Zn also present. To the remainder of the filtrate from the ppt. by BaC03in53 6addNH^- OH and (NH4)2S, warm and filter; with filtrate pass to 56 C. 56 h, and Mn and Zn not present. There being no Mn or Zn to remove, by (NHj2Sasin56a, take remainder of fil- trate from ppt. by BaCOg in 53 6 to 66 c. 66 c. Filtrates 56 a (or 53 V). Add to the filtrate from the ppt. by (NH4)2S in 47 J and reserve for \ 96 6, remembering in the analysis of the Ca group ppt. that Ba has already been tested for. 92 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 94-95- THE ALUMINUM GROUP. 94. Forms of occurrence and reactions. Aluminum ; Al : — To be met with as metal and in salts. Reactions: — NHtOH, {NII^^S or BaCO^ ppts. aluminum hydroxid, Al{ OJT),, flocculeni or gelatinous, whiter slightly soluble in NHiOH, soluble in NaOH as Al{ONa\, solution not repre- cipitated on boiling, soluble in dilute acids. Chromium; Cr: — To be met with as oxid and as salts of chromic oxid, or of chromic acid. The acid is always reduced to the oxid by H2S. Reactions : — NH4OH, (NH4)2S or BaCOj in solutions of salts of the oxid ppts. chromic hydroxid, Cr(0H)3 flocculent, green : the ppt. is slightly soluble in excess of NH4OH, and is soluble in NaOH as NaOOCr: Cr(0H)3 is reprecipitated from this solution on long boiling, more easily in the presence of ammon- ium salts. 95. The analysis of the aluminum group precipitate. a. The chemistry of the work on this group. For the separation of the two metals of this group, advantage is taken of the easy oxidation of chromic oxid compounds to chromic acid compounds, and also of the precipitation of chro- mic hydroxid on boiling its solution in sodium hydroxid, while aluminum hydroxid is not precipitated under similar con- ditions. The reactions of chromic acid are very delicate, so that the above oxidation makes it easier to detect the chromium. The AI(0H)8 in the precipitate by BaCOa is dissolved out by NaOH, made as it is wanted and in the tube in which it is to do its work, by the action of Ba(0H)2 on NajCOg. This solution takes place in accordance with the reactions of aluminum ; the succeeding treatment with HCl breaks up the compound, Al(ONa)3, that is in solution, and in this solution now contain- ing no free NaOH the precipitation of A1(0H)3 takes place by NH4OH in the usual manner. Sodium hydroxid, so entirely free from impurities that it will not of itself give a reaction similar to this for aluminum on treat- ment with HCl and NHjOH, is difficult to make and to keep in good condition ; hence its preparation for this test as wanted. §95-] THE ALUMINUM GROUP. 93 from materials that are much more easily obtained free from those impurities, such as aluminum compounds or silicate, which would impair the reliability of the test. C. The Analysis of the Aluminum Group Precipitate. TABLE VII. 67 a. Iron was not found in Table VI in more than traces, and phosphate is not present. Make a preliminary test for Al and Cr as follows : Dissolve a small portion of the precipi- tate obtained with BaCO, in 63, in a little HCl, add H^SO^ as long as a ppt. is formed, heat just to boiling, and filter ; a slight turbidity in the filtrate will do no harm. To about 3 c.c. of this filtrate, in a lo cm. test tube, add NH^OH very slowly from a dropping tube, holding the point of the tube close to the surface of the liquid, so that the specifically lighter reagent will fall gently, and float on the solution tested. At the zone of contact between the two liquids there appears : — 67 6. No pre- cipitate. Even after a few minutes. Al and Cr are absent. Pass to the Ca group. 57 C. A pre- cipitate. Treat the rest of the group precipi- tate as direct- ed under 58- 58. Iron was found in Table VI in more than traces, or phosphate is present. 69 a. Fuse a portion of the ppt. by BaCOj in 53 with about three times its bulk of a mixture of equal parts of NajCOj and NaNOj.in the platinum cup. The fused mass will usually be yellow if much Cr is pre- sent. Extract it with hot water, fil- ter, acidify the fil- trate with HCjHj- O2, and test for chromic acid with the lead and am- monium acetate mixture, 7; \ 85, b. A yellow ppt. indi- cates, as present in the original sub- stance, either in the form of a chromate or of a salt of chromic oxide, Cr. 59 h. To another portion of the ppt. in an evaporator, add about half a gram of NajCOj, a quarter of a gram of Ba(OH)2, and loc.c. of water, boil and filter, rejecting the ppt. ; acidify the filtrate with HCl. To about 2 or 3 c.c. of this solution, in a 10 cm. test tube, add NH4OH slowly from the dropping tube, holding the point of the tube close to the surface of the liquid, so that the specifically lighter reagent will fall gently, and float on the solution to be tested. A floc- culent, white ppt. at the zone where the two solutions meet shows Al. 94 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 96. THE CALCIUM GROUP. I 96. Forms of occurrence and reactions. Barium ; Ba : — To be met with as barium salts. Reactions : — (NH4)2C03 ppts. from neutral or alkaline solu- tions barium carbonate, BaCOj, flocculent, afterward pulveru- lent, or crystalline, white, easily soluble in acids. KjCrOj ppts. from acetic acid solutions, if not too dilute and only weakly acidified, barium chromate, BaCrOj yellow, soluble in HCl. In order that this precipitation shall be certain, if but little barium is present, it is important that the quantity of free acetic acid be small in comparison with that of the potassium chromate. ff^SOi ppts. from all solutions, except possibly such as contain but little of the element, and are strongly acid (see reactions of sulphuric acid, § 80), barium sulfate, BaSOi, pulverulent, white, very insoluble. Soluble phosphates or oxalates ppt. from alkaline solutions the corresponding barium salts. Strontium ; Sr : — To be met with only as strontium salts. Reactions : — (NH4)2C03 ppts. from neutral or alkaline solu- tions strontium carbonate, SrCOj, resembling BaCOa. CaSOi ppts. slowly from neutral solutions strontium sulfate, SrSOi, pulverulent, white, KjCrjO, gives no ppt. in acetic acid solutions. Soluble phosphates or oxalates ppt. from alkaline solutions the corresponding strontium salts. Calcium ; Ca : — To be met with as oxid or in salts. Reactions : — (NH4)2C03 ppts. in neutral or alkaline solutions calcium carbonate, CaCOj, flocculent first, afterward crystal- line, white, readily soluble in acids. (JVJI^iCiOippts. from neutral or ^alkaline solutions calcium oxalate, CaC^Oi, pulverulent, white, soluble in dilute mineral acids, insoluble in acetic acid. KjCrjO, gives no ppt. in acetic acid solutions. Soluble phos- phates ppt. from alkaline solutions calcium phosphate Cas(P04)2, white. Magnesium ; Mg : — May be met with as metal, as oxid, or as salts of magnesium. Reactions : — (NH4)2CO., and (NH4)2C204 do not ppt. magne- sium from solutions containing enough NHjCl. ' Na^HPOi ppts., often slowly, from solutions made alkaline by § 97-j THE CALCIUM GROUP. 95 NHiOH, ammonio-magnesium phosphate, MgNHiPO^ crystal- line, white, soluble in acids ; it often adheres to the walls of the tube, especially along the lines where the end of a glass rod has been drawn with some pressure ; this may fiot become visible, if the ppt. is abundant, till the contents of the tube are poured out. 97. The preparation and analysis of the calcium group precipitate. a. The chemistry of the work. The barium is separated from the calcium and the strontium by the greater insolubility of its chromate in acetic acid, the strontium from the calcium by the much greater insolubility of its sulfate in water, and the magnesium from all the others by the formation of a double carbonate of magnesium and ammonium, soluble in solution of ammonium chlorid. The solution brought to this point, 60 below, contains in addi- tion to the members of the calcium and potassium groups that may have been present in the original substance, a considerable quantity of NH4CI, and perhaps other ammonium salts. The presence of this salt is useful, since it lessens the danger of pre- cipitation of MgCOs by the grouping reagent. On the other hand, all the carbonates which it is desired to precipitate here are slightly soluble in solutions containing NH4CI, so that the action of the grouping reagent is thereby rendered more or less imperfect ; and it is well in the work of preceding groups to avoid the use of any unnecessary quantity of HCI, which must afterward be neutralized with NH4OH in 47, thus charging the solution excessively with this salt. The precipitate by (NH4)2C03 being dissolved by acetic acid in 61, Table VIII, it is at once ready for the next step in the separation. The BaCrO^ being slightly soluble in the acid, the separation from strontium and calcium is not perfect if an unnecessary excess of the acid is used in making the solution. In the separation of strontium from calcium in 63 to 65, Table VIII, we have to deal again with an imperfect action of the reagents used ; the SrSO^ is slightly soluble in water and in HCI : this is implied by the statement, under the reactions for this element, that it is precipitated slowly by CaSOi. If much water is present, or, in other words, the solution is very dilute, and much more if it is more than weakly acid, and at the same time the conditions are such that only a little SrSO^ can be formed, the salt may remain entirely in solution : the condition 96 ELEMENTS OF, CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§97- last mentioned would be fulfilled, if but little of either strontium or of H2SO4 were present: CaSO^ is but sparingly soluble in water, and we can have at the most but a very dilute solution of the reagent : therefore the second of these last two conditions is fulfilled. Hence the double reason is plain for the evaporation of the solution as prescribed in 63, and also for the addition of but little water to the residue. The reason is also plain, from the foregoing, for the direction that the test in 64 be allowed to stand several minutes. As 1,000 parts of water are required to dissolve one .part of SrSOi, and only 400 parts of water for one of CaSO^, while the oxalates are about equally insoluble,, and are undistinguishable from each other in appearance, the reason for the treatment with K2SO4, much more soluble than CaSOi and therefore yielding a stronger solution of the reagent, is apparent : even if, owing to the concentration of the solution, some CaSOj should also be precipitated, enough would always remain in' solution for the final test. For reasons explained in the foregoing paragraphs, traces of any one of these three metals might be missed in following this scheme of separation : for a method of treatment in such a case the student is referred to Fres^nius or Prescott and Johnson. Either the trace of barium, strontium, or calcium that may re- main unprecipitated by the group reagent, as explained above, yielding a flocculent precipitate with Na^HPOi, in 66, or the formation of Mg^OH)^ by the NH4OH, owing to an insufficient quantity of NH^Cl in the solution, may, in case the precipitate for magnesium is slight, make it flocculent instead of crystalline as it should be. By taking advantage of the fact that BaSOi and CaCiiOj are much more insoluble than the carbonates, a solution can be prepared, if the above-mentioned difficulty is encountered, that is practically free from those metals, although it may still contain traces of strontium. (Fresenius 1880, p. 296.) h. The preparation of the calcium group precipitate. 60. If the filtrate brought from the Fe group (47) is brown with Ni in solution, boil and filter again ; to this filtrate add (NH4)2C03 as long as a ppt. is formed, and then somewhat more to be sure of an excess of the reagent, and warm. If no ppt. appears, pass to 66. If a ppt. is formed, filter, and reserve both precipitate and filtrate for Table VIII. § 97-J THE CALCIUM GROUP. 97 C. The Analysis of the Calcium Group Precipitate and Filtrate. TABLE VIII. 61. Precipitate. 66. Filtrate. Dissolve the precipitate, on the filter, by pouring a small quantity of acetic acid over it, two or three times, using the same portion of acid; all of it should be dissolved. To a small portion of the solution add K^CrO^ ; if no precipitate is formed Ba is absent, and the remainder of the solution is used for the Sr and Ca tests. A precipitate is formed : add the reagent to the remainder of the solution, and filter. 62. Precipitate. Dissolve this yellow precipi- tate in HCl, and add to the solu- tion a few drops of H2SO4. A white ppt. shows Ba. The white color may not come out plainly till, after allow- ing the ppt. to settle, the liquid is decanted off, and the ppt. washed with a little water. 63. Filtrate. Make alkaline with NH^OH and add (NH4)2C03. If no fpt. ap- pears Sr and Ca are absent, and this solution need be tested no further. If a ppt. is formed add more (NH^)2C03 till the precipitation is complete, filter, rejecting the filtrate, wash the ppt. with water, dissolve it on the filter with HCl, evaporate the solution almost or quite to dry- ness, and dissolve the residue in a little water. Divide this solution into two portions. Divide in two portions, and re- serve the larger one for Table IX. To the other portion addNa^HPO^and NH^OH, draw the end of a glass rod*«. with some pressure^ over the inner walls I of the tube along three or four lines, and set aside for several hours. A white ppt., crystal- line if only small in quantity, and in any case adhering along the lines traced by the rod, after the contents of the tube are poured out, in-, dicates Mg. 64. Portion i. Add CaSO^, heat to boiling, and let stand ten minutes. A fine white ppt. shows Sr. 65. Portion 2. — Il-Si was fouiid ' iin pnrtjpn T add KjSOj, warm and filter,rejecting the ppt.; to the fil- trate, -fir dirtdly f a., /^ it pattiatt—if- • NH4OH till al- kaline and then (NH,),C,04. A white ppt. shows Ca. Ih^uTt, ^VUAvf 98 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 98-99. THE POTASSIUM GROUP. 98. Forms of occurrence and reactions. Potassium ; K : — To be met with commonly only as hydroxid, or as potassium salts. Reactions : — Sodio-cobaltic nitrite, (NaN02)3 • Co(N02)3, ppts. from neutral solutions containing potassium, potassio-cobaltic nitrite, (KN02)3.Co(N02)3, pulverulent, yellow. Sodium; Na : — To be met with commonly only as hydroxid and as sodium salts. Reactions: — Compounds of sodium give no ppt. containing that element, which furnishes a satisfactory test for the metal, and is practicable for use by the student. Held in the platinum wire loop, in the flame of a Bunsen burner, sodium compounds color the flame yellow. This test is so delicate, and sodium is so widely diffused, and common in occurrence, at least in traces, as an impurity in the reagents and other materials of the laboratory, that there is little difficulty in getting this reaction in nearly every substance analyzed. Just before using the wire for the test it should be dipped in HCl and heated in the flame till it gives no color thereto. Ammonium ; NHj : — To be met with only as ammonium hydroxid or salts, or as ammonia gas, NH3. Reactions: — Na OH decomposes ammonium salts, setting f7-ee ammonia gas, NH^ which colors red litmus paper blue, or yellow turmeric paper brown. 99,. Chemistry of the analysis of this group. a. No separation is made of the members of this group from each other, sodium and potassium being tested for in portions of the same residue, and ammonium in a portion of the original substance. Bringing from the analysis for the calcium group a solution containing much ammonium salts, the first operation performed, preparatory to the analysis for this group, gives us a residue not encumbered with the considerable quantity of ammonium salts in the filtrate from 60, and we can thus get a surer test for sodium. Furthermore, as might be inferred from the great •similarity between potassium and ammonium, in all the reactions with which the easy volatility of the salts of the latter does not § 99-J THE POTASSIUM GROUP. 99 interfere, it is necessary to have amnaonium salts entirely re- moved before a reaction with (NaN02)3 • Co(N02)3 can be safely taken to indicate potassium. 6, Preparation of the substance for the analysis. 67. Evaporate the solution brought from 66 Table VIII to dryness, in the hood, and ignite the residue gently as long as white fumes are given off, to remove ammonium salts. C. The Analysis for the Potassium Group. TABLE IX. 68 a. Portion 1. 68 6. Portion 2. 69. Original Sub- stance. Introduce on a platinum wire a small portion of the residue into the flame of a Bunsen burner. If the flame is colored a bright yellow, Na is present. In order to gain any approxi- mate idea of the proportion of Na present, account should be taken of what has already been found in the substance, the quantity of the residue left after the ignition just made, and of the probable proportions of K and Mg in this residue, and finally of the intensity and per- . sistenceof the Na flame reaction. Dissolve the larger portion of the resi- due in a little water, ' add to this solution three or four drops of sodiocobaltic ni- trite, and let stand for a few minutes. A yellow ppt. shows K. To a small por- tion of this add NaOH and warm gently. If the vapors evolved change moistened turmeric paper from yellow to brown, NH4 is shown. If it was necessary to fuse the original substance with Na^COj in Table E, in order to get it into solu- tion, prepare a solution for the above tests for Na and K as follows : mix I part of the finely pulverized sub- stance with 6 parts of precipitated CaCOj and ^ part of NH^Cl, and heat to bright redness in a small platinum crucible for 30 minutes. Cover the crucible with water in a beaker and heat to near boiUng for 30 minutes, filter, add a little NH^OH to the filtrate, and proceed further as in 60, 67 and 68. PART III. THE OPERATIONS OF QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS. CHAPTER XI. THE BALANCE AND ITS USE. 100. Introduction. Quantitative chemical analysis has fqr its object the determination of one or more of the constituents of a substance whose qualitative composition is wholly or partially known. It is ultimate analysis when the elementary constituents of the substance are determined, as the carbon and hydrogen of sugar: it is proximate analysis when some or all of the com- pounds supposed or known to exist in the substance are deter- mined, as the sulfur trioxid of a sulfate, or the calcium oxid in marble, or the sugar and fat in milk. Its results are obtained by careful measurements, as is the case with all accurate determinations of quantity. From a measured portion of the substance the constituent to be determined is converted into some new form, in which it is capable of measure- ment;, and into which it can be completely transposed, or at least very nearly so. In the quantitative analysis of a solid, or the determination of the substances in a solution, there are two general modes of procedure, called gravimetric and volumetric analysis. Gravimetric analysis. The substance to be determined is usually converted into some compound that is (i) insoluble in the liquid medium in which it is made, (2) has a perfectly defi- nite and well known composition, and (3) is of such a character that it can be finally obtained in a form in which it can be weighed without difficulty. The quantity of the substance sought is then calculated by simple stochiometric methods. Volumetric analysis. To a solution containing the substance to be determined, a solution is added containing another sub- 100 § lOI.J THE BALANCE AND ITS USE. lOI Stance, that gives with the first a definite reaction ; and this addition is made under such conditions that it can be sharply decided when all of the first substance has been acted upon, and just what volume of the solution of the second substance was required to complete the reaction. The strength of this reacting solution being known, and also the exact nature of the chemical change that it produces, so that the same can be expressed by a chemical equation, the quantity of the first substance can be calculated from the quantity of the second substance required. In setting out with the quantitative analysis of a substance, it must first of all be accurately known how much of it is taken for the analysis. In some laboratories for instruction, it is the practice to give to the beginner carefully measured quantities of a solution of a substance to be determined ; in others an in- definite quantity of a solid is given to him, from which he weighs out his own portions for analysis. But even in the first case he very soon has to use the balance to weigh the products of his operations; therefore, weighing on the chemical balance natur- ally comes up first for explanation. loi. The balance. When the beam of the balance is swing- ing, its knife-edges rest on polished agate surfaces ; the sharp- ness of the knife-edges and the polish of the agate must not be impaired, if the balance is to maintain its sensitiveness and ac- curacy. To be more sure of this preservation of the good con- dition of the instrument, the knife-edges are always lifted off the agate plates, and kept so all the time when the weighing is not actually going on. The arrangement by which the beam is raised or lowered is controlled by a small, milled-edge wheel on the outside of the balance, in front. The working parts of the bal- ance are inclosed in a glass case not only to protect them from injurious fumes, but also to exclude currents of air that might affect the swinging of the beam, and the indications of the needle as its point moves to and fro over the scale in front of the post. In order tomake this exclusion more complete just when it is most essential, namely, when one is making the last adjustment of the weights so as to exactly counterpoise the object weighed, this final adjustment is effected by means of the rider, that can be placed at any desired position on the right hand arm of the beam, by means of a hook on a rod sliding through a socket, near the top of the end of the balance case ; the balance can therefore be entirely closed while this rider is used. The weights. When the equilibrium is established between 102 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 102. substance and weights, this rider gives by its position on the beam, the milligrams and fractions thereof, of the total weight, or what appears in the written expression of the weight as the third and fourth decimals. The number on the beam nearest to the left of the rider gives milligrams (third decimal) and the rel- ative distance between the rider and this number and the next following one indicates tenths of a milligram. The beams of some balances are graduated for milligrams and tenths, of others only to milligrams and halves ; in this latter case the tenths must be estimated by the eye. The brass weights in the weight box give the grams, the number of grams indicated by each weight being stamped on it. The larger weights of foil, of which there are always four, stamped 0.5, 0.2, 0.2, o.i, or 0.5, 0.2, o.i, o.i, give decigrams, expressed by the first decimal, and by the same number and relative denominations of smaller foil weights the centigrams are given, occupying the place of the second decimal in the total weight. In some cases the number of milligrams is stamped on these foil weights, as 500, 200 ; or 50, 20, and so on. 102. The proper care and use of the balance. Thfe strict observance of the following rules and precautions is important. a. All movements of the beam should be slow, and so moder- ate in extent that the needle does not swing much beyond the fifth division on either side of the zero m^rk. No sharp impulse should be given to this movement, either by quick raising of the beam rests, or by making any changes in the weights or on the other pan, while the beam is off its supports, or by touching the beam, while swinging, with the rider hook, or by attempting to move the rider over more than a small portion of one of the divisions. At the moment when the beam is to be actually lifted off the agate plates, the needle should be close to the zero point ; this is easily brought about by causing the supports of the beam to follow its movement as it swings towards this position, without allowing them to touch it; then, just as the needle points to zero the beam is lifted easily without any jar. b. The greatest care should be taken that nothing comes in contact with the substance-pan but clean and dry pieces of apparatus. Of course the weighing may be worthless if any- thing weighable is detached from the object weighed and left on the pan, if another weighing of the same object is to be made that bears any relation to this first weighing. If the substance so left behind is acid, the pan is liable to be corroded and § 103-] THE BALANCE AND ITS USE. lOJ seriously damaged. Such a plain precaution as this would seem to be superfluous; but every teacher who has had experience with beginners in quantitative work, has now and then met with an exhibition of such a degree of thoughtlessness, it might almost be called stupidity, in the handling of delicate instruments, as would hardly be supposed possible. c. Paper should never be used to weigh a substance in. It is more or less hygroscopic, and may therefore itself change in weight during the weighing. For a similar reason, substances that are themselves hygroscopic, or liquids that may lose weight by evaporation, must always be weighed in well closed vessels. d. Never weigh a piece of apparatus while warm, nor directly after wiping it off; if necessary to wipe it with chamois skin, as may be with a piece of glass apparatus, let it stand in the balance for a few minutes before weighing. e. Never touch the weights with the fingers, but only with the forceps provided for the purpose. Always use the greatest care to return each weight to its proper place in the box. f. If the balance is properly adjusted, and the weights on its pans are equal, the needle will stand at zero when the supports are slowly lowered till the beam is free. Also, if the beam is made to vibrate, so that the needle will move, to five divisions to the left for instance, on swinging over to the right side, it will fall a little short of five divisions ; on moving back again to the left it will not go quite so far as it did on the right side, and so on till it finally settles at zero when the vibration ceases. In actual weighing, this vibration method is always followed, because much quicker than to wait till the beam comes to rest. 103. It is usually desirable to take approximately a certain quantity of a substance that is to be analyzed ; this quantity is sometimes specified in the directions for the determination to be made ; when not mentioned, from 300 to 500 mgms. may be considered as a suitable quantity, if the constituent to be determined forms a fairly large proportion of the substance ; if, on the other ha,nd, it forms but a very small part, as only a few hundredths of a per cent, for example, a larger quantity of sub- srance must be taken, perhaps as much as four or five grams ; in such a case, if a'small quantity is taken the error resulting from unavoidable imperfections in the method of analysis, or from want of experience, or both, may be so large in proportion to the amount of the constituent weighed or otherwise measured, at the end of the analysis, as to render the determination of little 104 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ I04. value ; if the quantity of this constituent carried through all the operations of the analysis is much larger, errors of equal mag- nitude will count for much less in relation to the quantity of substance determined, and will vitiate the result in a much smaller degree. On the other hand, unnecessarily large quantities of substance are undesirable, for errors of other kinds may be introduced, and the manipulations may require a longer time. Therefore the quantity of substance to be taken should always be carefully considered on beginning an analysis. 104. When the substance to be weighed is not at all hygro- scopic, the following method of weighing out accurately an approximate quantity is convenient. Get the weight of a watch glass; make the sum of the weights on the weight-pan that of the quantity of substance to be taken plus that of the watch glass ; turn down the beam-supports till the needle takes a posi- tion one or two divisions to the left of zero ; then, while holding the beam there, slowly pour the substance from the tube into the watch glass, till the needle swings over to the other side ; the glass contains a little more than the quantity desired ; proceed now to get the exact weight of the substance in the usual manner. A hygroscopic substance must be weighed in a weighing tube ; the quantity to be taken for the analysis is then to be poured into the vessel in which the first treatment is to be made, and the tube is weighed again. If the hygroscopicity is only moder- ate, first weigh out the quantity desired, on ordinary scales capable of weighing down to decigrams, pour this quantity into the weighing tube, and mark the space it occupies ; then fill the tube to the same mark with a fresh portion of the substance, weigh, empty the entire contents of the tube into the vessel in which the first treatment is to be made, and weigh again. A convenient pair of weighing tubes is made from two test tubes, one of which will just fit into the other; cut the rim off the smaller tube and draw out the larger one about midway of its length, and seal up and round out the bottom so as to make a tube of about half the length of the other ; this serves as a cap that will sufficiently exclude the moisture of the air from the substance within. Never, unless specially directed to do so, weigh out any par- ticular quantity of a substance, such as exactly one gram or two grams ; the last part of such a weighing, consisting, as it must, of abstracting minute quantities of the substance from the con- § I OS-] THE BALANCE AND ITS USE. IO5 tents of the glass on the substance-pan, or adding some of the substance thereto, till the desired weight is obtained, consumes much more time than the usual method, and no important advantage is gained. For assistance in measuring by the eye approximately the quantity of the substance to be taken, it may be observed that so much of a dry powder of average specific gravity as can be piled on a five-cent piece will weigh from 0.8 to 1.2 grams. In pouring a substance from the weighing tube into a beaker, hold the latter in an inclined position and pour the substance down the side, so that if the substance is specifically light, and in a fine powder, none of it will be lost ; and, finally, tap the lube gently on the rim of the beaker, to dislodge into the beaker any particles adhering loosely to the lip. 105. The operation of weighing. On seating himself at the balance, the student first ascertains whether its arms are in equilibrium, by setting the beam in oscillation, and observing the swing of the needle ; this movement of the beam need not be made to extend beyond five divisions from zero, and can be started easily by dropping the rider on the beam for an instant near the fulcrum ; if it does not swing as it should with the arms in equilibrium, that is at a uniformly decreasing rate on each side, raise the beam-supports, and brush off the pans with the camel's hair brush in the balance case \ if the equilibrium is not then restored, the attention of the instructor in charge of the balances should be called to the matter ; the beginning student must not attempt to correct the fault himself. When the balance is in order, put the object to be weighed on the left-hand pan. If the weight is quite unknown, it is to be settled, first of all, what the largest collection of gram weights is, that is too small. For example, suppose the whole weight is 20.56 grams, and that, being quite sure that it is less than 20 grams, one begins with a lo-gram weight ; he will then go on, adding one weight after another, till 19.99 grams is put on the pan before the error' in judgmeiit is suspected ; ten weights have been taken from the box, only to have to put them back and begin over again. But if one had begun with a 20-gram weight, and then added in succession the 10, 5, 2, and i gram weights, finding each one too heavy, it is thus settled that the highest number of whole grams that is too small is 20 ; having started right with the brass weights, one proceeds in the same way with the decigram foil weights, and then with the centigram weights; I06 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ Io6. the same number of weights will be handled as in the first case supposed, but this time one has proceeded steadily towards the desired end. The beam supports must be raised between each change of weights on the pan, but they need be lowered, each time, only far enough to allow the needle to swing out one or two divisions, showing plainly whether the last weight added was too small or too large. Too great care cannot be exercised in recording the weights. In the first place, this record should always be made in the lab- oratory record book, and never on loose slips of paper. Sec- ondly, the reading should be made twice ; to this end the student should learn the arrangement of the weights in the box, so that one reading can be made by the vacant places there ; the second reading is made on the weights as they are returned from the balance to the box. These two readings, by such different methods effectually check one another. In order that the first method shall be reliable, it is evident that each student using the balance should carefully return every weight to its proper place in the box ; there is little danger of any mistake in this respect, except as to the foil weights. Where many are using the same balance, the only safe reading is the second one, that of the figures stamped on each weight. io6.. When a substance is to be weighed after ignition, which in this case is usually the product of an analysis, this weight is nearly always taken in a crucible or dish of porcelain or plati- num. This crucible or dish must always be weighed before it receives the substance ; and before being weighed it must be ignited, so that it shall be subjected to the same treatment that is given to it while the substance is ignited in it. After every such ignition, the vessel, while still warm, is trans- ferred from the platinum-wrapped triangle, which is always used for supporting it on the ring of the lamp-stand, to the desicca- tor. This transfer, as well as that from the desiccator to the balance-pan, is always to be made with the crucible tongs, never with the fingers. The desiccator, a shallow, glass jar, with a ground glass cover, contains some powerful absorbent of moisture, as calcium chlo- rid, or sulfuric acid soaked up by pumice stone ; in the dry air of this closed jar, the substance can absorb no moisture \yhile cooling. If sulfuric acid is used as the absorbent, there should be no more of it than can be taken up by the pumice stone ; if § 107. j MEASUREMENT IN VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS. I07 Otherwise, and it stands as a liquid in the bottom of the vessel, a sudden jar, as when the desiccator is set down heavily on the table, or is quickly moved in any way, may cause some of the liquid to spatter up on to the bottom of the crucible ; this may then come in contact with the balance-pan, and cause serious damage. The desiccator should be uncovered only while putting some- thing into it or taking something out. CHAPTER XII. MEASUREMENT IN VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS. 107. The standard of measurement. In this mode of analysis (§ 100) the quantitative measurements are made partly by weight, and partly by liquid volume. The weighing is confined mostly to the substance taken for the analysis. In gravimetric analysis, the unit of measurement is the gram ; in volumetric work it is partly the gram and partly the cubic centimeter ; in the gravimetric method we take such and such a weight of substance, and get such and such a weight of precipi- tate, the product of the analysis. In the volumetric method we also take a certain weight of substance, for the analysis, but our measurement of the result is made in cubic centimeters, although this is afterwards calculated in weight. In the gravimetric work the gram weight, with its sub-multiples and multiples, answers for all the measurements ; but in volumetric work there are many solutions by which we measure, and therefore many analytical values of the cubic centimeter. It is evident that anything used for A measure must itself have a known value. Some of the solutions used for measuring do their work by oxidizing the substance in solution whose quantity it is desired to measure ; others act by neutralizing its acidity or its alkalinity, others by precipitating it out of the solution ; the more of the substance to be measured there is in the solution, the larger the volume of the oxidizing, neutralizing, or precipi- tating solution will be required for the work. We must, then, be able to determine two things with accuracy; how much oxidizing, neutralizing, or precipitating power there is in one I08 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ Io8. cubic centimeter of the measuring solution j and, secondly, the exact point at which we have added just enough of the measur- ing solution to complete the reaction ; this is usually accomplished with the aid of some reagent^called the indicator, that gives some sharp color reaction. For the determination of the strength of the measuring solution we must generally use a gravi- metric process of some kind. io8. Standard and normal solutions. A solution whose strength has been determined for the purpose of volumetric analysis is called a standard solution ; when the standard of the solution bears a certain definite relation to the molecular weight of the active agent that it contains, it is called a normal solution, which is thus defined : a normal solution is one of which one liter contains a quantity of the substance, expressed in grams, chemically equivalent to one gram of hydrogen. Volumetric analysis may be divided into three kinds. a. Analysis by neutralization, or saturation, in which the quantity is measured of a solution of known strength of an acid or a base, that is required to neutralize the unknown quantity of a free base or acid. b. Analysis by precipitation, in which the quantity is measured of a solution of known precipitating power, that is required to precipitate the unknown quantity of a substance from a solution. c. Analysis by oxidation or reduction, in which the quantity is measured of the reagent of known oxidizing or reducing power, required to oxidize or reduce the unknown quantity of the substance to be determined in this way. Standard solutions for use in volumetric analysis are usually solutions of acids, bases or salts ; one important solution contains the elementary substance, iodin, for its active ingredient, and another contains hydrogen peroxid, which do not belong to any of these classes. A standard solution of an acid or a base is used mostly for the determination of free bases or acids in solution ; or an acid may be used for the determination of the basic part of a salt, whereof the acid is one that can be com- pletely and easily expelled, by the acid used, as in the case of carbonates. A standard solution of a salt may be used as a precipitant, either by its basic or its acidic part, or as an oxidiz- ing or reducing agent. That part of the reagent, of any one of these kinds, which reacts with the substance to be determined is the active constituent of the solution. If the reagent is an acid, the acidic part of the § I08.] MEASUREMENT IN VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS. I09 formula of the acid represents the active constituent ; if a base, the basic part of the formula represents the active constituent. If the reagent is a salt, and the reaction is the precipitation of some constituent of the solution acted upon, the active constituent of the standard solution is that part of the salt that enters into the precipitate formed. In the same manner, if the action of the standard solution is oxidizing, then that part of the substance in the solution which actually produces the oxidation, whether directly or indirectly, is the active constituent of the solution. If the action is one of reduction, that constituent of the solution which is carried to a higher degree of oxidation or chlorination is the active constituent. In the following equations, representing reactions of neutraliza- tion and precipitation, the active constituent in the reagent, or that part of the reagent containing it, is italicised. 2KOH + Hj50j = Kj^Oj 4- 2HjO. 2HCI + ^a(OH)j = BaC\, + 2HjO. NaCl + ^^NOj = ^^NOa + NaNOj. Equations illustrating the action of oxidizing agents will be found further on. In the formulas of these acids, bases, or normal salts, acting as neutralizing or precipitating reagents, the valence of the active constituent, shown by the number of atoms of hydrogen in the acid, replaceable by a metal to form a salt, or of hydroxyl in the base, or by the valence of the non -active part of the salt, gives, directly or indirectly, the number of atoms of hydrogen to which that quantity of the active part of the reagent repre- sented by its molecular weight is equivalent. In H2S04, the acidic and really active constituent is sulfur trioxid, SO3 : this can be contained but once in the formula of the acid, hence SO3 is equivalent to H taken twice ; or, expressed in molecular weight, 80.06 of SO3 is equivalent to 2 of H, or 80.06 grams of SO3 is equivalent to 2 grams of H. Hence, according to the definition of a normal solution, a liter of a normal solution of. HjSOi should contain 40.03 grams of SO3; and the number of grams of H2SO4 containing this weight of SO3 is given by half the molecular weight of HjSO,, or 49.03. It is evident, however, that we need not thus resolve the sulfuric acid into its component parts to learn what its ultimate active constituent is, the SO3. The acidigenic part of its formula is the SO^; it is equivalent to Hj in that formilla ; therefore, we learn directly 110 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ lo8. that the molecular weight represented by the ordinary formula must be halved to get the figure for the weight of HzSOi, ex- pressed in grams, for a liter of a normal solution. So a liter of a normal solution of Ca(0H)2 must contain the number of grams expressed by the figure for half its molecular weight : we need not stop to consider that the really active constituent is the CaO ; that this is equivalent to Hj ; that its molecular weight must be halved, and, consequently the molecular weight of Ca(0H)2 ; to consider that (0H)2 is equivalent to Hj shows us at once the more direct course that can be taken. If a normal solution of a salt is to be made for a precipitant, consider first whether it is the basic or acid part of the salt that comes into action in the use of the solution. For example, a normal solution of potassium chromate, KjCrOi, is wanted as a precipitant by its chromic acid. The formula of the salt shows that the acidigenic constituent is bivalent, and is therefore equivalent to H2 ; hence the figure given by half the molecular weight of the salt, expressed in grams, represents thp weight of the salt to be taken for a liter of a normal solution. But the dichromate, KjCrjO,, may also be used as a precipi- tating reagent; this is not a normal salt, and the rule given above applies only to normal salts. The equation for the re- action of this substance, with a barium salt for example, shows that a molecule of it has twice the precipitating power of a molecule of the normal chromate. 2Ba(CjH30j)j + KjCrjO, + H^O = 2BaCr04 + aKC^HjOj + aHC^HjOj. Ba^qHsOz)^ + KjCiO^ = BaCrO^ -)- 2KC2H3O2. The acidigenic part of this salt in one molecule is therefore equivalent to H^. Passing now to oxidizing agents the same general rule can be applied to them. The following equation represents the oxidizing action of KMnOi on ferrous oxid : in order to show more plainly the course of the oxidation, the acid necessary to form salts with the oxids, and to hold them in solution is omitted. 2KMn04 + i°FeO = SFcjOj -}- K^O -}- 2MnO. This equation shows that two molecules of the permanganate give up O5 for oxidizing work: O5 is equivalent to Hi,,: or 315.34 grams of KMnOj is equivalent to 10 grams of hydrogen ; and, calculated in this way, on the basis of the actual working effect of two molecules of the salt, a liter of a normal solution of § Io8.] MEASUREMENT IN VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS. Ill it contains 31.5 grams. Likewise, one molecule of potassium dichromate gives up in oxidation three atoms of oxygen, as shown by the following equation, in which also, for greater plainness, the hydrochloric acid, or some other acid necessary to hold the products in solution, is omitted. KjCfjO, + 6FeO = sFe^Oa + Cr^Os + KjO. Os is equivalent to H^: hence the figure expressing grams of KjCrjO, in a liter of a normal solution of this salt, when used as an oxidizing agent, is given by one-sixth the weight of a mole- cule of the salt. In these cases, therefore, as in those of the neutralizing or the precipitating reagents, the equivalency to hydrogen of the actually working part of the reagent in a molecule of it, is taken as the basis for the calculation in making up normal solutions. Other standard solutions are used in technical practice, which Mohr calls empirica/ solutions, and of which he gives this example. A standard acid may be so made that it contains in 100 c.c. the quantity of the active constituent required to saturate one gram of pure NajCOs ; then, in assaying a sample of soda ash, exactly one gram is taken, and the number of cubic centimeters required to neutralize the sodium oxid gives, at once, the per cent, of NajCOs in the sample. But this relation of acid required to pure salt in the sample would hold good for sodium carbonate only; another standard acid must be made for potassium car- bonate, and another for calcium carbonate, and so on. Such a solution is useful, therefore, only where one substance is to be assayed with it, and by one and the same kind of a reaction. These definitions and explanations should enable the student to formulate the rule for the calculation of the required weight of substance for any normal solution. A normal solution of full strength is usually too strong for , actual use ; it will not measure with sufficient closeness. In order to measure length or weight as closely as we desire, in accurate work with small quantities, we have to use a smaller measure than the meter or the kilogram. In gravimetric work we weigh in grams, and sub-multiples and multiples of the gram. In like manner we reduce our normal solutions to half normal, or one-tenth normal, containing in a liter one-half or one-tenth of the quantity of substance required for a normal solution ; such solutions are designated as — , — and so on. 112 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ I09. In the use of these solutions it is better to take such a quantity of the substance for analysis, that not less than about 40 c.c. of the chief standard solution will be required for each determina- tion made with it. The temperature of any standard solution should be approxi- mately the same at all the several times when its strength is determined, and when.it is used for analytical purposes; the temperature of a comfortable room is a convenient one to maintain ; therefore, if a solution has been standing so long in a cold room as to have fallen much below this point, it should not be used till it has become warmed to about the right degree. 109. The specialinstruments used in volumetric analysis. 'These are pipettes, burettes, measuring flasks, and graduated cylinders. The pipette may be simply a graduated tube, showing cubic centimeters and fractions thereof ; or it may consist of a short piece of wide tube, connecting two longer pieces of narrow tube, when it is intended to measure only one fixed quantity, as 5, 10, 25 or 50 cubic centimeters : this capacity is indicated by a mark on the stem of the instrument. To use the pipette im- merse the point in the liquid to be measured, and with the mouth draw the liquid up till it rises a little above the mark ; then quickly close the mouth of the tube with the ball of the index finger, and with the mark on the stem at the level of the eye, looking towards a window or a bright wall, raise the end of the finger just enough to let the liquid flow out slowly, and finally drop by drop, till the lowermost part of the meniscus and the mark on the neck coincide ; take off the drop that may adhere to the point by touching it on the side of the glass, and then let the liquid flow out by its own gravity into the vessel destined to receive it, the point of the pipette being held against the side of the glass : then allow the pipette to drain in this position for about a minute. The burette, a long graduated tube, is closed below by a rubber tube about three cetjtimeters long, carrying a short glass jet at its lower end, and a small glass ball within ; on grasping the tube around this ball between the ' ends of the thumb and index finger, and pinching it in such a manner as to draw it out to one side and away from the ball, a passage is opened for the liquid in the burette, and the rate of flow can be easily regulated. The rubber tube should be pushed up on the burette-point till the ball in it is close to the opening of the burette, and the end of the delivery tube in the rubber tube should also be close to -§ 11 O.J MEASUREMENT IN VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS. II3 the ball. The size of the ball should be so adapted to the size and elasticity of the rubber tube that, while making a tight closure, still no such effort is required to open it that it cannot be held open as long and as much as may be necessary, without painfully straining the fingers.' The burette is filled at the top through a funnel, till the liquid rises above the zero, mark, then the valve below is quickly opened as wide as possible, so that the air in the rubber tube and jet will be completely displaced by the liquid, quite to the point of the jet ; the liquid is then allowed to flow out, slowly, till the lower part of the dark zone of the meniscus, or the line on the burette-float if one is used, coincides with the zero line on the burette ; the reading of the amount of liquid delivered for any purpose is taken in a similar manner. In delivering a large quantity of liquid at once and rapidly, a minute should be allowed for the walls of the burette to drain before the reading is taken. The measuring flask has a mark on its neck indicating its capacity. It is often used when it is desired to make a certain volume of a solution of a substance, in hand for analysis ; ali- quot parts of this solution are then taken out with a pipette, for the further treatment. The volume of the whole solution being known, as well as that of each part taken out, the results ob- tained with each portion can be calculated to the whole amount of substance taken in the beginning for analysis. The graduated cylinder. This is a cylinder of uniform diam- eter, on a foot, not graduated to less than one cubic centimeter ; measurements made with it are not so accurate as with the meas- uring flask or pipette, because the diameter of the column of liquid where the reading is taken is so much greater. When the liquid flows from a pipette or burette, it should leave no streaks on the walls, showing more adhesion in one place than in another ; in such case the readings cannot be accur- ate. Such irregularity in the flow is caused by dirt of some kind on the glass, usually oily matter; this can be removed most easily by means of a strong oxidizing agent, as chromic acid. Directions will be found in Part V, under the head of reagents, for the preparation of this solution and for its use. no. The calibration of graduated instruments. Successful work in volumetric analysis requires that the instruments used be correctly graduated. The testing of their graduation is called calibration. Not only should the correctness of the several parts 8 114 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ IIO. of the burette and the graduated pipette be tested, but also that of the total capacity of each instrument, as the full pipette and the measuring flask, and their relations to one another. To the beginner in quantitative analysis, taking only the course in Part IV of this work, the calibration o'f his burette, 25 c.c. pipette, and 250 c.c. measuring flask is of most importance. Calibration of the burette. After it has been properly cleaned, fill it to the zero mark v/ith distilled water at a temperature of about 20°, run out exactly 10 c.c. into a light weighing flask, previously weighed with a small watch glass over its mouth, . and weigh on a balance sensitive to centigrams ; nothing is gained by weighing more accurately than this. Run in another 10 c.c. and weigh again, and so on till the lowest 10 c.c. has been weighed. Repeat, and take the average for each 10 c.c. For the correct scale of reading for this calibration, for i c.c. on the burette scale put down in your note book one-tenth of the weight of the first 10 c.c; for 2 on the burette scale, two- tenths of that weight, for 3, three-tenths, and so on ; then when 10 on the burette scale is reached the corrected number will be the same as the weight of the first 10 c.c, if the calculations have been rightly made. Proceeding in the same manner, for 11 on the burette scale, add to the corrected number for 10 c.c. on the burette scale, one-tenth of the weight of the second 10 c.c, and so on. If the deviation for any 10 c.c. is less than 0.05 gram, the graduation of that part of the burette is suf- ficiently accurate, and no correction need be made. To calibrate the pipette, weigh its contents, delivered exactly as has been directed ( § 109) into the same weighing flask that was used in thq calibration of the burette. Then calibrate the measuring flask by means of this pipette, delivering it ten times ■filled into the flask, and repeating the operation till results agree closely. If the mark on the neck of the flask does not coincide very nearly with the lowest part of the dark zone of the menis- cus at the level of the liquid, when the flask is thus filled, a new mark should be made for this calibration by putting on a short, narrow strip of a gummed label, at the proper place. Now, with the aid of this measuring flask and pipette, one can get exactly one-tenth of the weight of a substance taken for analysis and brought into solution, this solution being made up to 250 c.c. in the flask, or one-tenth of the soluble part of it if not entirely soluble. § 1 1 I.J MEASUREMENT IN VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS. 115 III. Special directions for the use of these graduated instru- ments. When it is desired to get a certain volume of a solution of a substance, as 250 c.c. for example, in the measuring flask, and heat can be used with advantage, always treat the substance first in another flask, or in a beaker, with not more than half this volume of the solvent. When the solution is completed, or when carried as far as it can be if the substance is not- wholly 'soluble, with a funnel in the mouth of the measuring flask pour this solution into it, and carefully rinse the flask or beaker into it with distilled water ; then pour in more water cautiously almost to the mark on the neck, and finally, holding the flask in a vertical position, with the mark on a level with the eye, let water drop in from a pipette, or a dropping tube, till the mark is reached ; close the flask tightly with its glass stopper, or with a soft cork, and mix its contents by repeated inversion. After this, while the solution is being used for the analysis, the flask should be uncorked .only while some of its contents is being withdrawn. If the solution has stood for some time undisturbed, it is well to mix the contents, except when there is some special reason for not doing so, by inverting the flask two or three times, before taking out a portion for analysis. If two or three portions are to be used take all of them out at the same time ; if but one is taken, and the pipette is laid on the table while the analysis of that portion is carried through, some of the solution on the point of the pipette will evaporate, leaving a soUd deposit there ; this cannot be washed off without danger of getting a little water into the pipette ; of course the pipette must not be dipped into the liquid in the flask with this deposit still on it, or with water in it. Always after using a pipette rinse it out, finally with distilled water, and dry it ; do the same with a burette when through with the use of it for a particular solution, or when the work must be left for some time. Only when clean and dry are these instru- ments ready for use. Never attempt to fill a burette at its mouth otherwise than through a funnel ; without this precaution, some of the liquid may flow down on the outside; if it is a solution of any salt the water will evaporate, leaving a deposit on the glass that will ob- scure the readings ; or if a beaker containing a solution to be analyzed should happen to be under the burette, some of the (D O) CO CL (Ji Il6 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ 1 1 2-1 1 3. overflowing solution might drop into it, and the analysis would be ruined. Always close the mouth of a burette carefully, on leaving a standard solution in it that you expect to use again in a short time ; if the work will not be continued within a very few days, it is better to empty the solution out and clean and dry the burette. CHAPTER XIII. SEVEN IMPORTANT OPERATIONS OF QUANTITATIVE WORK. 112. Every gravimetric analysis brings into use seven import- ant operations namely, weighing of the substance and the product of the analysis, the preparation of .the solution, precipi- tation of the new compound, filtration, washing of the precipi- tate, preparation of the same for weighing, usually by ignition, and the calculation of the result. The first, sixth and seventh operations are peculiar to quanti- tative analysis ; the others are common to both qualitative and quantitative work, and they differ in manipulation in the two cases only in this one respect, but a very important one, that they must be carried through in such a manner as to involve neither loss of any of the substance that is under manipulation, nor the addition of any foreign matter to it that will make it other than the chemically pure product, of definite chemical coniposition, which the process requires to be weighed, when these manipulations are completed. The first operation has been fully described (Chap. XI). To what has already be^n given in Part I concerning the other operations, the following considerations are added as bearing specially on the two conditions emphasized above. 113. The solution of the substance. The liquid in which the solution is being made must not be boiled, unless special direc- tions are given to that effect j if boiled, it must be in a beaker covered with a beaker cover, or if in a flask, with the flask turned over on its side and securely supported in that position. If any gas is given off during the solution, as in the treatment of a carbonate with an acid, the beaker must also be covered, and the § Il6.] SEVEN IMPORTANT OPERATIONS. I I9 thumb on one side, and the second and third fingers on the other, lay the rod across the top, and hold it there with the index finger; all the pouring from the beaker can now be done with this hand ; and while the beaker is still inclined over the funnel, a jet of water from the wash-bottle can be directed into it, and all over the sides and bottom, which will immediately flow out into the funnel, carrying with it in this continuous stream all of this fine precipitate ; the jet-tube of the wash- bottle being connected with the main tube by rubber, making a flexible joint, by means of the index finger of the hand holding the wash-bottle, pushing the jet-tube upwards, the stream can be directed even against the upper sides of the beaker while still flowing down the rod into the filter. This transfer of the precipitate is completed only when the inside of the beaker is perfectly clean, the outside being clean also in order that one may plainly see anything adhering to the inner walls. 116. Filtration by suction. The assistance of suction to hasten filtration is much used in quantitative work. It is applied in two ways, with paper filters, and with asbestos filters. The paper filter is usually supported by a perforated platinum cone in the throat of the funnel ; when the filter is crowded down snugly against this cone, its rim should touch the sides of the funnel at all points of its circumference ; if it does not, the opening of the funnel is too wide, and another. one should be taken, or the filter should be folded with a wider opening, which is easily done. When the filter is put into the funnel and wetted as described in'§ 55, special pains must be taken to fit it down against the cone and against the glass above the cone, every- where from the apex of the cone to the rim of the filter ; creases made in the paper in doing this will do no harm ; but wherever the paper is not directly backed up by the platinum or the glass, it will probably be torn when the suction is turned on, and some of the substance will pass through. Only slight suction should be used at the beginning of the filtration, and more, later, when the filter is well covered with the precipitate ; without care in this regulation of the suction much time may be lost on account of spoiled work. By the use of filters whose points have been dipped in nitric acid of sp. gr. 1.42, and afterwards washed with water till the acid is all removed, the use of the platinum cone can be dispensed with. When the suction is in use, it should never be turned off 120 ' ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 1 1 7. entirely, till first disconnected from 'the filtering bottle ; other- wise the water at the suction-pump, which is commonly attached to the water supply at each student's table, may rush back into the bottle, and the work may be spoiled. Strong bottles or flasks specially made for the purpose must always be used to receive the filtrate : never use an ordinary flask. Flasks of the conical, Erlenmeyer form, with a lateral tube for connection with the suction are now provided, and are very serviceable. It is advisable to start every paper filtration in filters carefully fitted into the cones, or treated with HNOs, so that suction may be applied later if desirable. 117. Washing precipitates. Upon the thoroughness with which the precipitates are washed depends in largest measure the fulfill- ment of the second requirement for successful work stated in § iiz. When the filtration is completed, the precipitate and the filter are saturated with a solution containing all the products of the reaction by which the precipitate was made, as well as, sometimes, other substances that one needed to add to make the precipitation as perfect as possible : and so far as these are not volatile at the temperature of the burning of the filter, they will remain and add to the weight of the product. It must not be forgotten, therefore, that it is the filter as much as the precipitate in it that needs washing. Hot water, unless proscribed, should always be used for this washing, to save time ; the jet should be made to play all over the filter, from as near the rim as possible down, till the contents are covered with water, or till the filter is about two-thirds filled ; when all this has drained out, repeat the addition of water ; the washing will be sooner completed with several small quantities of water, than with as many larger quantities. The first spurt of water from the wash-bottle is apt to be so strong as to cause spattering of the precipitate up on the sides of the funnel above the filter; this maybe avoided by first filling the whole delivery tube and jet with water, while the jet is pointed in another direction ; then, while the tube is full, pinch the rubber tube between the jet and the main tube, direct the jet into the filter, and release the pressure on the rubber tube while the blowing in at the mouth tube is continued. Also, while the delivery tube is thus held full of water, if the wash- bottle is held in a much inclined position with the jet pointing downwards, the delivery tube becomes a siphon by which the water can be run into the filter fast or slow at pleasure, by inclin- § Il8.] SEVEN IMPORTANT OPERATIONS. 121 ing the flask more or less ; by letting the flow run dropwise on the rim of the filter for a few rounds, that more difficult part ot the washing may be facilitated ; but this must be done with care in the case of very fine precipitates, lest they begin to crawl up on the glass. If channels are formed in t,he precipitate by shrinkage, while it is being washed on the filter, these are to be broken up, most easily, by stirring the precipitate with a glass rod. This shrinkage will happen only in the case of somewhat gelatinous or very flocculent precipitates, such as ferric hydroxid, and it is best to wash these largely by decantation before putting them on the filter — pouring considerable water over the precipitate in the beaker, after as much as possible of the liquid in which the precipitation was made has been poured off" through the filter, without removing much of the precipitate, stirring it vigorously, pouring this liquid off after partial settling of the precipitate, and repeating the operation several times. There should be no guess-work as to the question of the com- pletion of the washing of the precipitate ; in every case a test should be made from time to time in a cubic centimeter of the washings, for that substance in the solution for which there is the most delicate as well as simple qualitative reaction. If, for instance, we know that the solution contains a chlorid and a nitrate, as the delicate test for the former by silver nitrate is more simple than the very delicate test for the latter, given under nitric acid in § 8 1, we would use the former test; and when we can no longer get any reaction with silver nitrate in the washings acidi- fied with nitric acid, we can usually assume that, together with the chlorids thus proved to be washed out, nitrates and all other salts are removed. The test may be made in another way, by the evaporation of a drop of the washings to dryness on a clean watch glass ; if no residue remains, the washing is complete. ii8. The asbestos filter. For this, instead of a funnel, a large platinum crucible is used (the Gooch crucible) with perforated bottom, or a porcelain crucible without bottom, except a narrow ledge to support a perforated platinum disk (the Caldwell-Gooch crucible). The crucible is put in a funnel with short, perpen- dicular sides, the upper edge of which is covered with a ring of sheet rubber, in such a manner that as soon as the suction is turned on, and the crucible is pressed down gently, this rubber makes a tight joint between it and the rim of the funnel. To prepare the filter, while the crucible is pressed down in this 122 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ Il8. manner and the full force of the suction is turned on, pour on a very little of the asbestos pulp, shaken up with very much water ; then pour in a little more, down a glass rod, the end of which is held close to the bottom of the crucible, so as to leave the first coating over the perforated bottom undisturbed ; a third or fourth portion may be added ; but. the layer of asbestos should be no thicker than moderately heavy filter paper, and uniformly distributed over the whole surface ; the finer the precipitate to be collected, such as barium sulphate or calcium oxalate, the greater the care that must be bestowed on the preparation of the filter. After it has been properly made, wash it with water poured in on a glass rod the end of which is close to the asbestos, till the washings are clear; the washings must be frequently poured out of the filtering bottle, in order that one may be able to determine when the last washing is free from fibers of asbestos. The crucible and filter is then to be dried and ignited over a low, direct flame, the lamp being held in the hand so that the flame can be made to play evenly and lightly over the whole crucible, and not merely impinge forcibly against the bottom ; the drying flame should be applied very gently at first, by moving it in and out, under and around the crucible ; the ignition, later, is complete as soon as the bottom of the crucible has reached a dull redness, unless higher heating is specially directed. When this filter is to be used, first turn on the suction and then put the crucible in its place in the funnel, moisten the filter with a few drops of water, and proceed with the filtration, always having the end of the glass rod well down in the crucible. When the washing is completed the crucible and contents can be dried and ignited in the same manner as directed for the treat- ment of the filter before the filtration. This method of filtration is so useful and so widely applicable, especially with the cheaper porcelain crucible, that the student should learn to use it very early in his course. If a thin plat- inum jacket is made for the crucible, fitting it just a little loosely, the ignition can be made as satisfactorily as in a plat- inum crucible; and as the platinum can be spun much thinner than would be practicable for a crucible, with this arrangement one can have all the advantages of a platinum Gooch crucible at much less cost. Any worker in platinum can make the jacket. In using it lay two or three long, slender fibers of asbestos in the jacket before putting the crucible into it, to avoid danger § irP'] SEVEN IMPORTANT OPERATIONS. 123 of adhesion between the two if the ignition must be .made at a high temperature. iig. Preparation of. the precipitate for weighing. In case the asbestos filter is used it is a very simple matter to prepare the precipitate for weighing, as has already been explained. If the precipitate is collected on paper the operation is less easy. The precipitate must first be dried for a few hours in the dry- ing chamber provided for this purpose ; to this end cover the funnel with a common filter, on which your name and the num- ber of the anaylsis have been written ; this filter must be about a centimeter larger than the funnel, and be folded down tightly over the edge, so that it will stay in place ; the moisture will easily escape through the porous paper. To put this cover on so that it will remain in place, set the funnel in the funnel- holder, lay the filter on the edge of the funnel, and hold it in position by pressing it down on this edge with the finger-ends and thumb of one hand; then with the index finger of the other hand fold the edge of the filter down over the edge of the funnel at one point on the circumference, and while holding this fold in place with this finger, with the thumb make the next fold tightly over the first one ; move the index finger to this second fold and hold it in place, and at the same time tucking it under a third fold laid over it by the thumb ; while doing this, this side of the funnel is gradually moved round and away from the operator ; at no time is the pressure of the fingers of the other hand to be released. Each fold is to be drawn down as tightly as possible without tearing the paper. Meanwhile the crucible is to be ignited and weighed, if this has not already been done (§ 126). In this ignition adjust the height of the crucible above the lamp so that about two-thirds of a flame ten centimeters long will be below the crucible ; there should of course be no deposit of carbon from the lamp flame on the crucible : if there is it must be burned off before putting the crucible in the desiccator. To guard against any possible loss of the precipitate in trans- ferring it to the crucible, the operation is to be performed over glazed paper ; this paper should be in four pieces ; one (a) about 37 by 50 centimeters, one (b) about 22 by 25 centimeters, and two small pieces, (c, d,) each about 14 by 22 centimeters : these pieces can be cut out of a sheet of the ordinary size. All these pieces should be trimmed smooth at the edges ; this 124 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ II9- paper should never be on the table except when in actual use for the transfer of the precipitate to the crucible. Lay the largest piece of paper a on the clean, dry table, on that the piece b, and on that the piece <:, and finally on that the crucible. In a place where there are no strong currents of air, touching the filter only on the outside, press and rub it together gently, where the precipitate is, all the time holding it over the glazed paper, and empty as much as possible thereof into the crucible ; then carefully open the filter completely ; it will be seen that the precipitate is entirely confined to one half of it ; with the other half towards you take hold of the rim of it with the thumbs and second fingers of both hands, bring the two quarters of the other half together by means of the index fingers pressing upwards on the outside, and then by a back- ward and forward motion of the right and left halves of the filter rub the inside surfaces together, and thus loosen as far as possi- ble those portions of the precipitate that still adhere to the paper ; change the positions of the index fingers about, so as to rub different parts of the filter together, and then empty it into the crucible ; now that as much as possible of the precipitate has been transferred to the crucible, fold in that edge of the filter over which the precipitate was emptied, so that no particles loosely adhering to it shall drop off and be lost in subsequent operations, fold the filter up again as it was originally, roll it up and wind the long piece of platinum wire (in a glass tube handle) about it, as much as may be necessary to keep it together ; hold the roll with the closed end downwards directly over the cru- cible, touch the lower end with the lamp flame, and lower it at once into the crucible ; when the burning and glowing have ceased, raise it a little above the crucible and let the flame play on any unconsumed parts, thus burning the filter as completely as possible in this free access of air, before the remains drop out of the wire ; a gentle tapping ol the wire on the edge of the crucible will then detach any particles adhering to it. If all this work has been carefully and skillfully done, very little of the precipitate will fall outside of the crucible ; set the crucible aside on the other small piece of paper d, and gather all visible particles of the precipitate from sheet a on to sheet c on which the crucible stood-; then putting c ox^ a gather whatever is on b on to c; then, setting the crucible and the piece it is now on, on b, transfer what has been collected on c to the crucible. By § 120.] SEVEN IMPORTANT OPERATIONS. 125 conducting the operation in this manner the direct transfer of precipitate to the crucible is always done from a small piece of paper, and more easily than from a large one ; and each part of the operation is conducted over a sufficiently large piece of paper so that no particles are likely to get out of sight ; if any do not move readily on the glazed paper, they can be pushed along to the edge by means of the platinum wire; this is better than a brush or a feather, for adhesion to either of these is quite as easy as to the paper, if not more so. Now set the crucible in the platinum-wrapped triangle on the lamp ring, and put the glazed paper away in its drawer. Cover the crucible, and ignite it at first gently and afterwards to full redness, or as much as may be directed in any special case ; remove the cover, lay the crucible on its side with its mouth towards one of the twisted arms of the triangle, and the cover partly on this arm and partly on the crucible, and so far down as to leave its mouth about two-thirds uncovered ; some access of air is thus provided for the combustion of the small remnant of carbon that usually remains ; apply the full heat of the lamp to the bottom of the crucible, this being set high enough so that about two- thirds of the length of the flame is below it. When no further change appears to take place in the contents of the crucible put it in the desiccator to cool. In a few cases there is no danger of any reduction of the sub- stance to be weighed, by contact with the burning organic matter; then the filter and contents may be put at once into the crucible, and at first gently ignited with the cover on ; after the filter is thoroughly charred the ignition is continued in the partly covered crucible, as described above. In other cases the precipitate is so easily reduced that it must receive special treatment after the ignition, to restore it to its normal condition ; it is better to collect such precipitates on the asbestos filter. 120. Calculation of the results of the analysis. In the calcula- tion of these results, two important ideas are specially prominent : first, the product of the analysis, that is weighed, rarely consists of that substance alone for the determination of which the analysis was made, or in the same form in which it existed in the compound subjected to analysis. If, for example, we seek to determine phosphorus in cast iron, we finally weigh it as mag- nesium ammonium phosphate, a form of combination totally different from that in which it existed in the iron. Secondly, the result is nearly always to be given in percentage, or parts 126 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 121. per hundred parts of the substance analyzed ; only by comparing results thus calculated can they be checked against one another, since different quantities of substance are in nearly all cases taken for the several determinations that are made. In order to be able to make the first part of the calculation, it is essential that the chemical composition of the product of the analysis weighed be accurately known, so that its formula can be written ; as one way of verifying this formula, the equa- tion for the reaction by which the precipitation is made should always be written out by the student. Knowing the formula of the substance weighed, the amount of the substance sought is calculated by stochiometric rules. Make the molecular weight of the product of the analysis, or substance found, the first term of a proportion ; the atomic or the molecular weight of the sub- stance sought, according as this substance is elementary or com- pound, taken as many times as it occurs in the formula of the compound weighed, the second term; the weight of substance found, the third term ; the fourth term will be the amount of substance sought, for the determination of which the analysis was made. With this result, and the weight of substance taken for analysis, the percentage of the substance determined in the substance analyzed is calculated. In the larger works on analytical chemistry, Tables are given for facilitating this calculation, to which the advanced student will usually refer ; but the beginner should make it without such aid till he is thoroughly familiar with the methods, and can understand the principles upon which these Tables are con- structed. CHAPTER XIV. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. 121. The determination of the specific gravity of solutions. When a solution contains only one substance, the relation be- tween the specific gravity of the solution and the quantity of the substance in it can be determined and put in the form of a Table; this Table can then be used for ascertaining the per cent, of this substance in any solution of it, whose specific gravity is known. A number of such Tables are given in the § 122. J MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. 127 larger text-books on analytical chemistry, as well as in many smaller books devoted exclusively to Tables of various kinds. In these Tables, the figure in the column under the formula of the substance in the solution, against any specific gravity figure, gives the number of grams of the chemical substance having that formula, in 100 parts of the solution having that specific gravity. If the substance column is headed SO3, it is the num- ber of grams of sulfur trioxid in 100 parts of the solution of the acid of the specific gravity found ; if the substance column is headed HjSO,, it is the number of grams of this chemical compound in loo parts of the acid of the specific gravity found, and so on. The approximate determination of the specific gravity of a liquid, by means of the areometer. The use of this instrument depends upon the principle that a body floating and partly immersed in a liquid displaces exactly its own weight of the liquid. If the liquid is a solution, and increase of the quantity of the substance in the solution makes the liquid specifically heavier, the floating body will not sink so deep, and vice versa. The graduated scale on the stem of the instrument enables one to measure the extent of the immersion ; this scale being so made as to indicate the specific gravity corresponding to the extent of immersion, we have thus a very quick method of making a deter- mination of the specific gravity of a liquid with sufficiently close approximation to the truth to answer for many purposes. The reading is taken where the stem of the instrument meets the surface of the liquid. It is well to learn to read the' scale before putting the areometer into the liquid. Take the liquid at the temperature of about 15" C, in a cylinder longer than the areometer, and with an inner diameter of at least about a centi- meter greater than the bulb of the instrument. 122. The accurate determination of the specific gravity of a liquid. This determination is made by comparing the actual weights of equal volumes of the liquid and of water, at the same temperature. Many forms of apparatus are used for this purpose. The special points to be looked after are, (i) exact equality of volumes of the two liquids weighed, (2) exact equality of their temperatures at the time the volumes were measured, and (3) absolute security against any loss of these measured volumes by evaporation till the weighings are made. The specific gravity pipette is a convenient instrument for making this determination. In this instrument the volume of 128 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 122. liquid to be weighed is that which will fill the space from the point a, to the mark c on the stem. The weight of this volume of distilled water is to be determined first : although 15° C. is the temperature usually adopted, 20° is nearer the ordinary temperature of the room, and is therefore more easily maintained during the ma- nipulation. Drying and weighing the pipette. Remove the rubber tube, lay the pipette in the drying closet, and when it is hot connect it with the air blast. Then weigh it with rubber tube and screw-clamp on, the tube being pushed quite down to the bulb d and the clamp being close above the end of the stem of the pipette. This tube should slip easily on the glass tube ; if it does not, wet the latter a very little over its whole surface. By the platinum wire loop, which goes with the pipette, hang it on the left arm of the balance, and put a small watch glass on the pan under- neath, to protect the pan if any of the liquid should drop from the pipette during the weighing. Filling the pipette. With water : fill a large beaker with tap water, bring its temperature to 20°, and suspend in this, by means of a copper wire triangle over the mouth, your smallest beaker, filled with distilled water : as soon as this water has taken the temperature of 20° immerse the point of the pipette in it, and with the clamp J open just enough, and no more, to admit of suction through the rubber tube, by means of another rubber tube from the tube m to the mouth, slo\*ly draw the water up, while seated at the table so that the eye is nearly at the same level with the upper part of the instrument ; as the liquid approaches e fill very slowly, and at the instant when this space is full close the clamp, the screw of which is all the time held between the thumb and finger of the right hand, while the stem of the pipette above the bulb d is held by thumb and finger of the other hand. Screw up the clamp as long as it yields to the pressure, but not any longer ; it is easy to break it by screwing unnecessarily tight. Now detach the tube m, and with the point of the pipette still in the water, grasp the rubber tube by the part that is on the stem § 123.] MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. 1 29 between the clamp and the bulb, and carefully raise this tube by a somewhat spiral movement, till the liquid is drawn up exactly to the mark c ; if it is drawn higher the pipette must be emptied, dried, weighed and filled again. Remove the pipette from the liquid, by a quick movement of the finger around the point take off the adhering drop, and then by further raising of the rubber tube draw the liquid up a little and thus away from the point ; now, any slight expansion of the liquid while being weighed will not cause any to drop out, and also the point can be wiped dry without danger of removing any of the liquid. If the clamp was properly closed the con- tents of the pipette will remain perfectly stationary. If any of the liquid does drop out, before the weighing is completed, or even if a drop collects about the point, the pipette must be emptied, dried and refilled. Duplicate and closely agreeing results must be obtained, both when the pipette is filled with water, and when filled with the liquid whose specific gravity is to be determined. When the pipette is to be laid aside, slip the rubber tube off, and open the clamp. This instrument may also be used very conveniently for accur- ate weighing of small quantities of a liquid. When thus used it must be filled at least up to the stem at ^ ; if only partly filled, the liquid is apt to drop out on account of changes in the volume of the air in the upper part of the bulb. The size of the bulb must therefore correspond to the quantity of liquid to be weighed. In emptying the pipette, force out the last drops of the liquid by closing the upper end of the rubber tube on the stem with the thumb and finger, and then quickly compressing the tube just above the stem. 123. The use of platinum ware. Ignitions are so much more easily, quickly, and satisfactorily made in platinum than in porce- lain crucibles, that every student intending to make chemistry his special work should own his own crucibles, and will be ex- pected to procure either these or platinum jackets for the porce- lain Gooch crucible. Platinum is attacked by free chlorin. Therefore it should never be allowed to come in contact with any mixture contain- ing free HCl and HNOs, or with any salts of these metals under such conditions that their acids can be set free, as, for instance, in the presence of free H2SO4 ; nor should any other mixture that can evolve chlorin be allowed to come in contact with the crucible under conditions that make such evolution possible. 9 130 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 1 24. At ignition temperatures platinum should not come in contact with any easily fusible metal, or with any mixture of a salt of such a metal and a reducing agent. After a platinum dish or crucible has been used for an igni- tion, the outside should be polished down by rubbing with sea sand on the moistened fingers till the surface is bright. If by this treatment the surface of the platinum is scratched, the sand is not suitable for this use, its grains not being sufj&ciently rounded by attrition. 124. The quantitative note book. This book is to be provided by the student for recording all the notes of the work done in the quantitative laboratory. In it are to be made the original entries of the results of the qualitative analysis of the substance, if such analysis is required ; a brief statement of the method of determination followed ; answers to the questions on the method, if such are given out ; all the figures of the weighings, or the volumetric read^gs ; and the calculations and results. In short, it is required, in the author's laboratory, that a full and orderly record of every analysis shall be given in this book, ready for inspection at any time. The manner in which it is desired that these records shall be entered is illustrated below. Before beginning the actual work of the analysis, the written questions ar.e to be answered, if any are issued. The student is not prepared to make a successful quantitative determination till he understands the reason for every step-in the work and every precaution mentioned ; hence this requirement. When, as in more advanced work, questions are not given, he should still study the directions no less carefully, and work out the equation for every unfamiliar reaction. The beginner in this work will find the aeeded information for the answers to the questions under the description of each determination, or in Part II on qualitative analysis. The more advanced students will need to consult the larger works in the chemical library, such as those of Fresenius. In his quantita- tive analysis, that author describes the properties of the products of the determinations under the running title " Forms ; " the manner of making the determinations under the title " Deter- mination ;" and under the title "Separation," the special methods of separating the substances from one another, when present together in a mixture or compound, preparatory to their determination. Answers to questions or inquiries, not indicated under any of these heads, must be sought for in other works of reference in the library. § 125.] MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. I3I This note book is the property of the student. If neatly and honestly kept, and for the time given to the practice showing a large amount of work, with good results and few errors, and full, intelligent and carefully written notes and references on the work, it may be more useful than any letter of recommendation, by the evidence it gives of the actual quantity, kind, and quality of the work accomplished as a student. 125. Sample pages of records of a gravimetric determination. Substance No. 10 (magnesium carbonate). Received March 15th, 1890. Qualitative Analysis (if called for). Found : Mg. COj. Quantitative Analysis. Determination of Mg : Method : (Give here all references consulted.) Answers to questions (if called for, or suggested by the -work). Det. 2. I. 2. Etc. Mg; Det. i. Vial + s, Less s, 5-6643 4-8231 Subst. .8412 Cr + ppt. Cr. 16.8794 16.2486 "•• Ppt. Less ash. .6308 .6302 Calculation of results : Det. I. Mg,P,0, : 222.6 : 48 2Mg = .6302 : X .6 = .6302 : X X X 100 .8412 = Per cent. Mg. Det. 2. (Work the above calculations out by logarithms, putting all the figures down here.) 132 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 1 26. A volumetric determination ; iron by dichromate. The record should be about as follows, with such modifications as may be necessary in individual cases. Give first all the preliminary matter as indicated at the head of the preceding page. Det. I. Det. 2. Vial + s, 6.7304 " less s, 5-8613 Subst., .8691 St. sol. required, 15.6 c.c. I c.c. = 0.01713 gm. Fe. 15.6 X 0.01713 X 100 = per cent. Fe. .8691 (Work this out by logarithms, giving all the figures here.) If two or more constituents of a substance are determined, making a complete analysis, sum up the work as follows : — Summary of results on feldspar. I. II. III. AljOj 64.13 64.25 KjO 18.40 18.21 18.56 SiO, 16.91 16.80 99.44 99.26 126. Miscellaneous maxims. The best economy of time is secured by doing the work as carefully as possible, from first to last. All analytical processes are affected more or less by condi- tions beyond control, none of them being absolutely perfect. The strict observance of all known rules and precautions is there- fore the more essential for the best success in the work. The student who values his time cannot afford to disregard a single one of the general directions and precautions for the management of his work, given in the preceding pages, or of the special direc- tions and precautions given in the description of each determina- tion. Repetition of work made necessary by poor results hastily obtained consumes more time than is required to do the work carefully in the first instance, and, moreover, makes the record poor. Be always on the watch to exclude from the work in hand, in all its stages, the accidental addition to it of any substance, solid or in solution, that does not belong there, or the loss of any of the substance to be weighed or measured. § 12 6.] MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. 1 33 Make duplicates of every determination, and further repetitions if results do not agree on the first two. A single determination is of little value till confirmed by another giving practically the same result. In the case of every analysis undertaken, the student should consider that he is to learn for himself, as correctly as he can, what the actual proportion is in the substance of the constituent that he is called upon to determine, or the actual composition of the substance as a whole if that is required, before making any report. This knowledge he has not gained if the results that he has obtained are discordant. Many students make the mistake in this matter of supposing that if the fitst two determinations do not agree sufficiently well, another two must be made, and then perhaps even another two. An analytical method is worth little if only by carrying through two analyses simultaneously, concordant results can be obtained. The right course is this : the first two determinations do not agree ; if the work has been done with reasonable care one of them is probably correct; make one more determination to ascertain which one of the first two is correct. But if the first two results and this third are all widely apart and otherwise incorrect, it is fair to presume that the student is working carelessly, and that he must reform his ways of working in general, paying more scrupulous attention to the general direc- tions for quantitative work in Part III of the text-book, or to the special directions given for each determination. After reading this matter over again, carefully, he may as well begin anew on the analysis that has made him so much trouble. Be orderly, and scrupulously clean. There is no excuse what- ever for slovenliness and disorder in respect to apparatus or work-table. Better work can surely be done under a neat and orderly system than otherwise. Avoid use of unnecessarily large quantities of reagents. Avoid the use of unnecessarily large beakers or flasks ; when precipi- tates are to be filtered from them, the larger the vessel the larger the surface to be washed in transferring the precipitates to the filter. Be sure that your solution is of about the right degree of con- centration before beginning any operation with it ; it may be too late after reagents are added. Without careful planning of the work, very much time is easily spent in accomplishing but little. In estimating the capacity of a student in the laboratory, account must be taken 134 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 1 26. of the amount of work done, as well as of its quality. Celerity is important, as well as accuracy, in all kinds of laboratory practice. Always keep as many determinations in progress as you can without confusion, so that you will be busily occupied with some manipulation or study in connection with your work, either that in hand or that to come, during all your laboratory time. A slow filtration will not go on any more rapidly for your watching it. Ignite and weigh your crucibles in any moments of leisure ; then, kept in the desiccators, they will be ready for use just when wanted, and you will not be obliged to wait for your turn at the balance before you can go on with the work at your own table. ♦ PART IV. EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE IN QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS. CHAPTER XV. THE DETERMINATION OF IRON AND OF SULFUR TRIOXID. 127. The determination of iron. The gravimetric method. In the gravimetric determination of iron, it is nearly always weighed as ferric oxid, after precipita- tion as ferric hydroxid. Iron may be precipitated from its solutions as ferrous or as ferric hydroxid, according to its state of oxidation in the solu- tion precipitated. Ferrous compounds in solution, or in the solid form and freshly precipitated, tend to pass rapidly into ferric compounds on exposure to the air; solutions of the chlorid oxidize more rapidly than those of the sulfate.' The ferric compounds are much more stable than the ferrous com- pounds, and they are therefore better adapted for quantitative precipitation. Ferric hydroxid, Fe(OH)j, is insoluble in water and in dilute solutions of alkaline hydroxids or of ammonium salts, easily soluble in acids. If precipitated with the alkaline hydroxid, not in excess, a basic salt (§ 17) is obtained; if, on the other hand, the alkali is in excess, some of it adheres to the pre- cipitate with great tenacity, and is difficult to remove unless volatile. On ignition the hydroxid is converted to oxid ; if only super- ficially dried before the ignition, there may be loss of particles of the substance thrown out of the crucible by the sudden forma- tion of steam from the inclosed moisture. Ferric chlorid, volatile at the temperature of the ignition, can 13s 136 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICA'L ANALYSIS. [§ 1 28. be formed by reaction between ferric hydroxid and ammonium chlorid. Ignited ferric oxid is not easily soluble in acids. The operation. To the solution, not less than about 200 c. c. in volume, better in a porcelain dish than in a beaker, add NH^OH in small excess, heat almost to boiling, let settle, decant into the filter, add boiling water, and stir well ; let settle and decant again ; wash in this way two op'^ree times, then transfer the t whole of the precipitate to the filter, and wash with hot water. Dry it thoroughly before ignition. Give the results as Fe. 128. The volumetric method. The ready passage of iron from one state of oxidation or chlorination to the other, and the delicate qualitative tests that can be used to show when this con- version is complete, combine to provide several very satisfactory volumetric methods for the determination of this element. ' The permanganate method and the dichromate method are more commonly used ; in both of these the iron is first completely transformed by reducing agents into the ferrous condition, and it is then ascertained how much of a standard solution of the oxidizing agent is required to convert it to the ferric condition. If permanganate is used, the highly colored oxidizing agent itself is its own indicator, a single drop of it perceptibly color- ing a large quantity of solution, while the products of its decom- position when reduced and held in solution are nearly colorless. The only objection to this method is its unreliability in solu- tions containing HClj a reaction takes place between the H CI and the KMnO^, by which chlorin is set free, the manganese compound being changed to manganous chlorid ; although chlorin should ordinarily chlorinate ferrous salt to the ferric condition, it will not readily in so dilute a solution of the iron salt as must be used in this process. Since HCl is a much more convenient solvent of iron pres than H2SO4, the dichromate method, in which the presence of even a large excess of this acid does no harm, is the better one for general purposes. In this method the reducing agent used to convert all the iron to the ferrous condition, before the treatment with oxidizing solution, is stannous chlorid ; the excess of it is removed by mercuric chlorid, the presence of a moderate quantity of which in the solution does not affect the result. The chromic acid is Converted in this operation to chromic chlorid. §128.] IRON AND SULFUR TRIOXID. I37 The indicator used is potassium ferricyanid. This may some- times contain ferrocyanid, which can be changed to the ferri- cyanid by treatment of the solution with chlorin, the excess of which must be removed by boiling. The preparation of .the standard solution. To 5 grams of pure KjCrjO,, approximately weighed on the reagent-shelf scales, add about sperc.c. of water in a beaker, and heat the mixture on the hot plate till solution is complete; cool the solution, transfer it to a one-liter glass-stoppered bottle, fill the bottle up to the shoulder, and mix the contents thoroughly. Weigh out two portions of about 150 mgms. of clean plaiio' 1 wire, whose contents of pure iron should be determined if not known (ordinarily very nearly 99.6 per cent.), dissolve the wirejn^ small/covered beakers,rin about 40 c.c. of HCl with the aid of a gentle heat; to the hot solution add a little SnClj dropwise and with constant stirring, till the yellow color that may have been present at first is entirely removed, and with care to add only a small excess; dilute to about 150 c.c, cool quickly, add at once HgClj, of which about 20 c.c. will usually suffice ; the precipitate should be white; next proceed without delay with the addition of the KaCn^Oj from a burette, till no reaction appears with the KsFeCye after the test drops have been in contact for half a minute. Time will be saved, and some useful practice gained in stochiometrical calculation, by figuring out in advaijce the probable quantity of the standard solution that will be required, and then running the solution in at once up to within 5 c.c. of this amount, with constant and rapid stirring, before making any tests. When first beginning to make the tests, from 0.5 to i c.c. of the standard solution can be added between them; but as the end is approached the quantity should be diminished till, close to the end, it should be only a tenth of a cubic centimeter at once. At this part of the operation, also, when the proportion of ferrous iron in the solution has become very small, somewhat larger . drops of it should be taken out for the tests. ,-'" To make these tests conveniently, put sa«I&'of the solution of KsFeCye in a test tube, and set this tube in a small beaker of water ; put a drop of the solution under analysis on a porcelain plate, by means of the stirring rod, and with a dropping tube bring a small drop of the indicator in contact with it ; put the dropping tube in the water in the beaker, thereby rinsing it for the next test. In order that the progress of the reaction can b^ 138 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 129-130. followed, toward the end of the operation, in the gradual weak- ening of the color in the tests, drops as nearly alike in size as practicable should be taken for all tests, except at the close as above noted, from both solutions ; and, in order that the strength of the solution of the indicator in all the drops shall be about the same, the water should be blown out of the drop- ping tube each time before taking up a fresh portion of this reagent. When the operation is completed with both solutions of the iron, calculate the value of loo c. c. of the solution in Fe as a factor for permanent use. Two determinations of this factor should agree within 2 mgms., if the work has been carefully done. For every determination of iron in a substance make the solu- tion acid with 40 c. c. of HCl, and dilute it afterward as in this operation of standardizing the solution. If it is a ferric compound that is analyzed, more SnCljwill of course be re- quired than in the treatment of the above solution of the iron wire. 129. Assay of limonite. Supposing the ore to have been pre- viously ignited to remove organic matter, which must not be in the solution, proceed as follows : — To a weighed portion of about 3 grams add 100 c. c. of HCl, and boil gently in a covered beaker, in the fume closet, till the residue is entirely changed to a gray sandy' Rinse the cover into ' the beaker^vand make the volume of the solution up to 250 c. c. in a measuring flask (§ iii). Measure out three portions of 25 c. c. each into beakers, add to each about 10 c. c. of HCl, and proceed in the same manner as in the standardization ofthe dichromate, beginning with the addition of the SnCljffusethe first determination only as an approximate one, adding a cubic centimeter of the dichromate between each test. Proceed in the same manner with another weighed portion of the limonite. Report the result in Fe, giving the average of the last two determinations on each weighed portion. 130. The determination of sulfur trioxid. Sulfur trioxid in salts is always determined by precipitation as barium sulfate. One part of this salt requires 400,000 parts of water to dissolve it ; it is appreciably more soluble in acids, even if dilute, and its solubility increases with the strength of the acid. Alkaline nitrates in the solution hinder its complete precipitation. The precipitate is very fine, and often causes trouble by pass- § I3I-J ACIDIMETRY AND ALKALIMETRY. 139 ing through the filter, especially if made in a cold solution and filtered at once ; a clear filtrate is more easily obtained if HCl or NH4CI is present in the solution. The precipitate readily carries down with it other substances present in the solution, especially nitrates, and it is almost impossible to remove some of these foreign matters, even with hot water or dilute acids ; if nitrates are present they must first be converted into chlorids by repeated evaporation of the solution to dryness with HCl. Barium sulfate can be ignited to redness without change, but if the heat is carried up to whiteness, it loses SOa- At a red heat in the presence of reducing substances it passes readily into the sulfid. The operation. To the well diluted solution, acidified with HCl and heated nearly to boiling, add a hot solution of BiClj slowly and with constant stirring, as long as a precipitate is formed, and with tamt- care to avoid any large excess of the ' reagent ; let the liquid stand, still kept hot but not boiling, till the precipitate has nearly settled, decant the supernatant liquid into the filter, pour about too c. c. of boiling water over the precipitate, let settle and decant again, and repeat till the wash- ings give no notable reaction for chlorids j then transfer the whole of the precipitate to the filter, complete the washing, and dry and ignite in the usual manner, after careful separation of the precipitate from the filter. When the igniti on is completed and the crucible cooled, m oisten tjii Ii iij _ m"j ilijill, i illT ^HaSO,, dry over a very low flame, and then ignite gently. Give the result as SO3. CHAPTER XVI. ACIDIMETRY AND ALKALIMETRY. 131. This kind of analysis, as the names imply, is the deter- mination of an acid or an alkaline substance, and as commonly understood it refers to their determination by volumetric methods. It can be directly applied to acids only when in the free state and soluble in water, and only indirectly to their determination in salts. Bases can be determined by the alkalimetric methods, when free, and also when in the form of carbonates. The method consists simply in the addition of a standard solu- 140 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ I3I. tion of a base to the solution containing the acid to be deter- mined, or in the addition of a standard solution of an acid to the solution of the base to be determined, till the point of neu- trality is reached ; or the addition of a standard acid in excess to the carbonate, and, when the salt is completely decomposed, determining by means of the standard solution of the base how much acid was used in excess ; this subtracted from the total quantity of acid used gives the quantity required to form a neu- tral salt of the basigenic constituent of the carbonate. Any base or acid soluble in water can be used for standard solution. The most convenient solutions for general use are an ^ solution of ammonia, and an y solution of hydrochloric acid. The presence of carbonic acid, dissolved in the liquid in which an alkalimetric or acidimetric determination is made, is usually objectionable, because it may interfere with the distinct- ness of the color reaction of the indicator used to show when the neutral point is reached. Potassium and sodium hydroxids absorb carbon dioxid from the air much more readily than am- monium hydroxid does ; furthermore, they act more rapidly on the glass of the bottles or the burettes. A fifth normal solution of HCl can be heated up to boiling without loss of strength ; even a tenth normal solution of NH3 cannot be heated without escape of ammonia; but as there is never any occasion in this work to heat a solution containing an excess of standard am- monia, this is no objection to its use. The indicators most employed are litmus, cochineal, and methyl orange ; as the preparation of a really serviceable solution of litmus is difficult, it is used mostly in cases where the others do not give a sharp reaction, as in the titration of organic acids. Although the calculation of an acidimetric or alkalimetric de- termination is somewhat easier if the solutions are exactly one- tenth and one-fifth normal, when but small quantities are required, as for this practice, it is not advisable to take the time for their preparation ; it is more convenient to make solutions approximating closely to the desired strength, by the aid of areo- metric specific gravity determinations, and Tables, and then to determine-their exact strength by other means. If, however, it is desired to make a solution whose strength is exactly equal to that of a normal solution, or to some aliquot part of such strength, proceed as follows. Prepare the first, approximately correct solution in such a way that it shall surely be somewhat too strong. Determine its exact strength in § 132. J ACIDIMETRY AND ALKALIMETRY. 141 accordance with the special directions given ; calculate the quantity of the active constituent of the reagent in looo c. c. of this solution ; calculate the number of cubic centimeters of this solution, which really contains that quantity of the aptive constituent of the reagent, required to make looo c. c. of solu- tion of the correct strength ; then looo minus this volume gives the quantity of water that must be added to this quantity of the solution to make looo c. c. of a solution of the correct strength. For example : it is desired to make an exactly -I solution of silver nitrate, silver being the active constituent. The first solu- tion is prepared as directed above, and when its strength is determined it is found to contain 22.5 grams of silver per 1000 C.C., 21.58 grams being the correct quantity ; the solution is too strong. Then 22.5 : 1000 ; : 21.58 : 9SI.I. 1000 -^951.1 = 48.9. Therefore, on adding to 951. i c.c. of the solution, which quantity contains the right quantity of silver for 1000 c.c. of an -g- solution of the nitrate, 4^.9 c.c. of water, we shall have 1000 c.c. of an f solution of the reagent. Since of these two solutions above mentioned, for alkalimetry and acidimetry, the hydrochloric acid is the more stable one, more care is usually given to the determination of its absolute strength than of the ammonia : the strength of the latter can be verified from time to time by comparison with the acid. 132. Preparation of the standard solutions. With the aid of the areometer (§ 121), and the specific gravity Tables in Part V, determine the strength of the shelf NH4OH, and the HCl of the laboratory. Then prepare a liter of an approxi- mately one-tenth normal solution of ammonia by measuring out the proper quantity of the reagent with the graduated /cyliHder into a one-liter measuring flask, filling the flask up to the mark with water, and mixing thoroughly by repeated inver- sion of the flask. Transfer this solution to a liter glass stoppered bottle ; the bottle should be rinsed out with distilled water but not necessarily dried before using it. In like manner prepare a liter of an approximately one-fifth normal solution of hydro- chloric acid. The determination of the relative strength of the acid and the alkaline solutions. Fill one burette with one solution and another burette with the other ; run 10 c. c. of the acid into a 142 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ I33. ^smaiy beaker, add enough of the indicator (about 0.5 of cochineal or litmus, or three or four drops of the methyl orange) to give a decided color to the solution, put the beaker on a large sheet of white paper in a good light, and run in ammonia with constant stirring, till the proper change of color appears, produced by, at the most, two or three drops of the solution ; if it is feared that too much may have been added, 0.1 to 0.2 c. c. of acid may be run in to restore the original color ; then add ammonia again. By repeating this operations several timej/fcack and forth, the point of neutralization can Ve very acccurately determined. If-g h arp reoultc arc not obtained with ,nnp indicator, try anothe r. Note the total quantities of acid and ammonia used, and repeat the operation with^^ig^. c. por- tions of acid till closely agreeing results are obtained. Finally, calculate the quantity of acid required to neutralize one cubic cen- timeter of ammonia solution and the quantity of ammonia solution required to neutralize one cubic centimeter of the acid solution. I-f all the preliminary measurements and the rest of the work have been carefully performed, the acid should prove to be very nearly twice as strong as the ammonia. 133. The determination of the absolute strength of the solution of acid. This determination is made by precipitation with silver nitrate, and weighing the chlorid obtained. The precipitate of AgCl is white, and mainly flaky, while a part of it remains quite persistently in a finely divided form that passes easily through the filter ; but on vigorously shaking or stirring the liquid containing the precipitate, the fine portion becomes attached to the flocculent part, and the liquid clears more readily on standing, especially if it is hot and contains AgNOs, in excess, instead of HCl. It is very insoluble in water and in HNO3, soluble in traces in HNO3, more soluble in HCl ; it is appreciably soluble in solutions of other chlo- rids, and of nitrates, including silver nitrate; much excess of this last mentioned reagent should therefore be avoided in the precipitation. On exposure to sunlight, and especially the direct rays, it turns violet, losing chlorin, and forming, AgjCl ; the change is superficial, but it may affect the weight of the product if allowed to go too far. When gently ignited it fuses to a yellow- ish liquid, without decomposition. The operation. .Procure a 130-150 c. c. Erlenmeyer flask, a good cork that when properly softened fits tightly in its mouth, § 1 33- J ACIDIMETRY AND ALKALIMETRY. 143 and a amafl piece of black cloth to protect the precipitate from the light. To 25 c. c. of the standard solution in this flask, add about I c. c. of HNO3, 75 c. c. of water, and then AgNOj, slowly and with constant agitation of the solution by moving the flask gently in a small circle, while resting on the table, till the reagent is in slight excess. Since it is very necessary that this excess of the reagent should be present, and the reaction be completed before the precipitate is collected together in the manner described below, time will be saved by making a preliminary calculation of the quantity of silver nitrate required ; see § 114. This is easily done, since the strength of the standard solution is very nearly known, and that of the reagent is given in § lAjrf The precipitate settles so" slowly'hat it is very difficult to determine in the usual manner ■ when enough of the precipitant has been added. •? Cork the flask, wrap it in the black cloth/and shake the con- - tents vigorously for about five minutes ;-Dy this operation the precipitate is flocculated, and it will settle very quickly, leaving a supernatant liquid that must be entirely free from turbidity; if it is not, the shaking must be repeated. The filtration should not be attempted till a perfectly clear supernatant liquid is obtained. When all is ready for the filtration, by a quick movement of the flask while held in the. hand, throw some of the clear liquid up against the cork, and repeat this till the particles of the pre- cipitate adhering to the cork and the neck of the flask are com- pletely rinsed down : transfer the precipitate at once to the care- fully prepared and rather thick Gooch filter ; the mass on the filter becomes very compact and somewhat fissured; stir and break it up fine, with the rod, with care not to penetrate so far as to disturb the asbestos, and wash with cold water containing about one hundredth of its volume of HNOs, till fifteen or twenty cubic centimeters of the washings give no turbidity with two or three drops of HCl. If during the washing the wash- water becomes turbid, it must of course be passed through the filter again ; it is well to empty the filtering flask frequently, as mentioned in § 115, so that at no time will it be necessary to filter again more than a small quantity of liquid. If any fissures appear in the mass on the filter during the washing, close them in the same manner as at first. — ^.^ Dry the precipitate for two or three hours at iio°-i2o° j/then ignite it, at first very gently for a few minutes, with crucible 144 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ I33. ■ covered, and then more strongly till i t just beging to fuse. This ' last part of the operation should be performed with the crucible e/imcovered, so that its progress can be closely watched ; the cru- cible should be laid as far over on its side as possible, and the ■ lamp, with a high flame turned on, should be moved in and out ; under the side of the crucible till fusion begins, not only in de- ' tached portions of the chlorid in that part of the crucible directly exposed to the flame, but also on the edges of the main mass of . the substance on the asbestos. A better way is to hold the crucible by the tongs, in a still more nearly horizontal position, and by a motion of the hand and arm turn it over and back, so that it will be heated on dif- ferent sides while holding it in the flame ; thus danger of over- heating any portion of the chlorid is more easily avoided. When the crucible is thus heated on its sides and only when in a hori- zontal position, or nearly so, and the flame is not at any time allowed to impinge directly agalinst the bottom, the fused chlorid will not^run through or arpynd^ the_ asbestos to the platinuin disk.(( Repeat the operation with 6ther portions of the acid till con- cordant results are obtained.' The fused silver chlorid can be loosened from the asbestos arid the disk of platinum by digestion with HCl while in contact with pieces of zinc."^ Now calculate the mgms. of HCl in one cubic centimeter of the standard acid : and, knowing the exact relation between this acid and the standard ammonia, calculate the absolute strength of this alkaline solution, Or the number of milligrams in one cubic centimeter. Next, for practice, calculate the value of one cubic centimeter of the acid in sodium carbonate, potas- sium carbonate and calcium carbonate, and the value of one cubic centimeter of the ammonia solution in sulfur trioxid and nitrogen pentoxid. It now remains to test the accuracy of this work in the preparation of these standard solutions, by tTthe analysis of test substances. If the substance is a carbonate, a?hiv.>_vvater, which will dissolve it if an alkaline carbonate; add the . indicator, and ^then standard acid very slowly and with constant stirring, till plainly in excess, with the substance itself entirely dissolved. If it is a carbonate insoluble in water, this solution in the acid will take place rather slowly, especially towards the end, unless a large excess of acid is used, which is unadvisable. Before titration back with ammonia in the case of a carbon- § 1 34-] LEAD, PHOSPHORUS PENTOXID AND CALCIUM. 1 45 ate, the solution should be heated just to boiling, in a covered beaker, and^kept boiling gently for about five minutes._) The cover and sides of the beaker are then rinsed down with water, and the liquid cooled. In all this work be careful not to dilute the solution of the substance to be determined, too much ; the volume should not exceed loo c. c. when the liquid is ready for the titration, and should be within 75 c.c. if practicable. TTHAPTER XVII. THE DETERMINATION OF LEAD, PHOSPHORUS PENTOXID AND CALCIUM. lODOMETRY. DETERMINATION OF ANTIMONY. 134. The determination of lead. Lead is most conveniently determined as lead sulfate. This salt is nearly insoluble in water, more insoluble in water containing sulfuric acid, much more soluble in HjSOi and HNO3, and in water containing ammonium salts in solution, especially the nitrate, acetate or tartrate ; it is insoluble in alcohol. Ignited, at a red heat it is unchanged, but at a white-heat gives off SOs; it is easily reduced at ignition temperatures in contact with incompletely burned combustion products, the metal separating out ; the filter upon which it has been collected cannot, therefore, be wrapped in platinum wire for the ignition (§ 123). The operation. To the solution, which should not be concen- trated, add H2SO4 in slight excess ; if nitric acid or a nitrate is possibly present, evaporate the solution down nearly to dryness on the water-bath, leaving the beaker uncovered ; when taken from the bath, the liquid should not give any odor of nitric acid. If hydrochloric acid or a chlorid is possibly present, the solution must receive the same treatment. These obstacles to complete precipitation of the lead as sulfate being removed, add about 50 c.c. of water to the residue in the beaker, and after stirring well add about 100 c.c. of alcohol; let the mixture stand for a few hours, filter, wash with alcohol, and dry. Transfer as much of the precipitate as possible from the filter to a crucible, in the usual manner and ignite gently. Fold the filter up and burn it directly in another crucible, heating at first very gently with the 146 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 1 35. cover partly on, and complete the ignition in the usual manner ; when the crucible is cool moisten its contents with HNO3, evaporate to dryness at a gentle heat, moisten the residue with H2SO4, dry and ignite gently. Add the two weights of substance obtained and calculate the result as Pb. For a somewhat shorter method, requiring but one weighing of substance, and much more careful manipulation, but permissible only where there are no currents of air, see Fresenius, § 52. 135. The determination of .phosphorus pentoxid. Phosphorus pentoxid is nearly always weighed as magnesium pyropho^hate, MgjPjO,, after precipitation as magnesium-ammonium phosphate, MgNHjPOi.eHjO. This salt forms a white, crystalline powder, slightly soluble in water, easily soluble in acids, less soluble in water containing ammonia, less insoluble if ammonium chlorid is also present, easily soluble in acids. Excess of magnesium sulfate increases the insolubility in ammoniated water, but unless much ammonium chlorid is present, magnesium hydroxid, or a basic magnesium sulfate is liable to be precipitated also \ excess of sodium phosphate diminishes the solubility of the precipitate. Heated to 100° the water of crystallization escapes, and on ignition, the ammonia also ; too rapid heating, producing a sudden evolution of the ammonia, may cause a loss of sub- stance mechanically. The pyrophosphate is white or grayish, often quite dark in color, unchanged at a white heat, easily soluble in acids. The operation. To the solution containing in 75 c. c. about 500 mgms. of phosphorus pentoxid, as nearly as can be esti- mated from previous knowledge of the composition of the sub- stance to be analyzed, add about 5 c. c. of ammonia, or till in excess, and then with constant stirring and care not to touch the side of the beaker with the rod, add the magnesia mixture drop by drop, most conveniently from a burette, at the rate of about a drop per second ; 20 c. c. of the reagent will usually be sufficient, if the quantity of the substance present has not been underestimated. Let the mixture stand three or four hours before filtering. Filter and use water containing one-fourth its volume of ammonia for cleaning the beaker and washing the precipitate ; wash till the chlorin reaction disappears, or is at least no stronger than is given by a few drops of the washing solution added to half a cubic centimeter of silver nitrate acidified with HNO3. It is often necessary to complete the ignition over the blast- lamp,, if a nearly white residue cannot be obtained by the § 136-] LEAD, PHOSPHORUS PENTOXID AND CALCIUM. 147 ordinary treatment ; after one ignition over a Bunsen lamp, if the product is not white or nearly so, moisten it with a drop of HNO3, and dry very carefully over a low flame, then ignite strongly over the blast-lamp and weigh ; if the residue is still not nearly white, repeat the treatment with HNO3 and the igni- tion, and weigh again; if the loss in weight is null, or insignifi- cant, do not carry the operation any further, but report the result obtained, with a statement of the condition of the precipitate. Give results as P2O5. 136. The determination of calcium. For the determination of calcium it is usually precipitated as the oxalate ; with this pre- cipitate four courses may be taken. It may be dried at 100° till the weight is constant, the product then having the composition jjii I II 111 I11111 ; it may be ignited very carefully and weighed as carbonate, or ignited very strongly and weighed as oxid ; its complete conversion into carbonate without carrying a little of it on to the oxid is somewhat difficult ; and it is even more difficult to convert a large quantity of the oxalate completely into oxid. Therefore another course, which is open to none of these objections is described here, namely, the volumetric method, with potassium permanganate ; this reagent causes the. conversion of all the oxalic anhydrid into carbon dioxid, as the result of a process of oxidation in the mixture in which the reaction is made to take place. ^P Calcium oxalate, CaC204.2H20, forms a white, very fine, crystalline precipitate, insoluble in water, and in s olutions ^ alkaline chlorids, easily soluble in mineral acids; /ignited, it passes into the carbonate at a moderate heat, and into the oxid at a high heat. The precipitation. To the hot solution, of about the average degree of dilution, and containing, as near as may be estimated from previous knowledge of the composition of the substanc e to b e analyzed, about 100 mgms. of calcium, add ammonia till in moderate excess, and (NH4)2C20/Vith constant stirring, till no ■ further precipitation takes pla^, and let the mixture stand for several hours in a warm place. Decant the clear liquid into a weighed Gooch filter, with as little disturbance of the precipitate as possible, wash several times with hot water by decantation, and finally transfer the precipitate itself to the filter; wash the precipitate till no further reaction is obtained for oxalic acid in a test with 5 c. c. of the washings. 148 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 1 3 7. Unless a very carefully prepared filter is used, and all these directions are followed, there may be difficulty in getting a clear filtrate. Dry the crucible and contents to constant weight, at 100° C, and calculate the result as Ca. 137. Volumetric determination of the. calcium in this pt\: \ >ipiiatt . Make an approximately ^ solution of KMnO^ (see § 108), and standardize it by means of ferrous oxide in the form of ammonium ferrous sulfate, FeSOj. (NH4)2 SO4 + 6H2O, taking carefully weighed portions of about i gram each. Dissolve the salt in about 200 c. c. of water, add at once about 10 c. c. of H2SO4, and, with the beaker on a white tile or plate, add the permanganate from a glass-stoppered burette, dropwise, and with constant stirring. At first the color of each drop disappears immediately, and then more and more slowly ; towards the end of the operation, add the drops very slowly, with stirring between each, till the color disappears ; the end point is reached as soon as the last drop added gives to the whole of the solution an unmistakable faint reddish tinge. This color may be permanent only for a very few moments, but nevertheless the ferrous iron is completely oxidized, and the reaction is cgttipleted. Repeat till closely agreeing results are obtained. The equation is given in the section above referred to, for the reaction betweei^he ferrous oxid and permanganate. In the actual operation](PR ferrous oxid is present in the form of sul- fate, and in the presence of the H2SO4 added we have sulfates in the right-hand member of the equation instead of oxids ; but this does not affect the process of oxidation in any other way than to facilitate it. The equation shows that ten atoms of Fe in the form of ferrous salt are converted into ferric salt by the oxygen yielded by two molecules of KMnOj. From the formula of the ferrous salt used, calculate the quantity of Fe in the weight of salt taken, and then from the results of the titration calculate the exact strength of the KMnOi solution. Then calculate the value of one cubic centimeter of this solution in CaCjOij for the equation for this reaction between the KMnOj and CaCjOj, take five molecules of the oxalate and two of the permanganate, with the necessary quantity of H2SO4; the products of the reaction are calcium sulfate, manganese^ sulfate, potassium sulfate, carbon dioxid and water ; then calculate the quantity of calcium in this quantity of calcium oxalate, and thus obtain the value of i c.c. of the § 138-] lODOMETRY. 149 permanganate in calcium. Or the value of the permanganate in Ca can be calculated directly, without first calculating its value in calcium oxalate. Now determine the quantity of calcium oxalate in the pre- cipitate obtained artd woighc d above/by the same kind of an operation as that performed in standardizing the permanganate ; to this end, transfer the precipitate with the asbestos to a beaker, add about loo c.c. of water, and 50 c.c. of H2SO4, warm to about 60°, and then titrate with permanganate. Give the result in Ca. 138. lodometry. This method of volumetric analysis depends upon the action of iodin as an indirect oxidizing agent. In the presence of water hydriodic acid is formed, while oxygen in its nascent state acts on any oxidizable substances present. HjSOj (sulfurous acid) -\-\^-\- H^O = H^SO^, + 2HI K3ASO3 (potassium arsenite) + 12+ HjO = KgAsO^ + 2HI If the substance combined with the hydrogen is not readily oxidized it may be set free. H3S+l2 = 2HI + S Iodin may be set free in a solution of potassium iodid by a substance capable of displacing it from its combination with the metal. KI + CI = KCl + I The extreme delicacy of the reaction of free iodin with starch, and the sharpness of its reaction with thiosulfate, give the means for measuring the quantity of free iodin in a solution with excep- tional accuracy. The reaction with sodium thiosulfate is as follows : — aNajSjOj +12 = Na2S405 (sodium tetrathionate) + 2NaI. The preparation of the solutions. Iodin in potassium iodid. For 500 c.c. of an — solution dis- solve about 12 gms. of potassium iodid in about 200 c.c. of water ; weigh out about 6 gms. of powdered iodin in a covered watch glass, and at once put it into a glass-stoppered measuring flask, rinsing the glass into the flask with some of the iodid solu- tion ; add the remainder of this solution, and shake up the contents of the flask frequently till the iodin is completely dissolved, using no heat; make the solution up to 500 c.c. with water, and mix 150 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ I39. as usual. If a larger quantity of the solution is made it should be put into a number of 250 c.c. bottles, nearly filled ; in this manner it may be kept unchanged in strength for a long time. Sodium thiosulfafe. Dissolve 12.4 gms. of the pure and well crystallized salt in 500 c.c. of water, previously boiled to expel CO2 in solution. If this solution is kept in a cool, dark place, its strength will remain unchanged for a considerable time. The starch solution. To about a gram of powdered starch add about 100 c.c. of water with constant stirring, and heat the mix- ture, with continued stirring, to boiling ; let cool, and pour off the nearly clear liquid from the sediment. The solution is not permanent, and should be fresh when used. Standardizing the iodin solution against the thiosulfate. To 20 c.c. of the latter solution, run from a burette into a beaker, add three to four c.c. of the starch solution, and then iodin solution from a glass-stoppered burette, slowly and with constant stirring, till the whole of the liquid is colored blue by the last drop added. Repeat till closely agreeing results are obtained. The standard of the iodin solution. Break up some crystals of pure sodium thiosulfate to a coarse powder, dry this over sulfuric acid for a short time, then pulverize the effloresced residue very fine, and dry it for several days over sulfuric acid, with a watch glass containing pieces of potassium hydroxid to absorb any carbon dioxid that might be present and act on the salt. Take about 200 mgms. of the powder for each test, dissolving it in about 20 c.c. of water. Calculate the iodin in one c.c. of the solution. 139. Determination of antimony, in the form of antimonous oxid. _ / SbjOj 4^Ij -t-^Na,0 = SbjOj -f-^Nal. The oxidation must take place in an alkaline solution, and in the presence of a large excess of alkaline carbonates. Fresenius gives the following directions, which are to be found also in Fleischer's Titrirmethoden. Dissolve a quantity of the substance containing about 100 mgms. of antimony in about 10 c.c. of a solution of tartaric acid (one to ten), add sodium carbonate till the solution is nearly neutral, and about 20 c.c. of a cold saturated solution' of sodium bicar- bonatey then the starch, and finally the iodin solution, dropwise -and with constant stirring, till the whole of the liquid assumes a briefly permanent blue color ; that the color disappears after a § 140.] ANALYSIS BY ELECTROLYSIS. 15 1 little time is not to be taken as an indication that more iodin solution is required. Fleischer commends the usefulness of this determination, since antimony can be precipitated as tersulfid from any of its compounds ; and after dissolving the precipitate in HCl, boiling out the hydrogen sulfid, adding tartaric acid and the alkaline carbonates as above directed, the solution is ready for the titration. CHAPTER XVIII. ANALYSIS BY ELECTROLYSIS— SEPARATION AND DETER- MINATION OF SILVER AND COPPER. 140. Method I (Classen's). Silver oxalate, precipitated by (NH4)2C204 is insoluble in excess of the precipitant, while copper oxalate is soluble. The two metals are separated by this reaction and subsequent filtration, the silver oxalate is dissolved in potas- sium cyanid, and each solution is electrolyzed separately. The re-solution of the copper oxalate in excess of the reagent is easy, but since the silver oxalate settles very slowly, it is difficult to decide when the precipitation is complete, and when the addition of the ammonium oxalate in excess really begins, or when, in the solution colored bluish-green by the dissolved copper salt, the undissolved residue consists only of the white silver salt. It is better, therefore, to estimate by calculation, or ascertain by experiment, how much of a cold saturated solution of the pre- cipitating reagent is required to effect a complete reaction : any excess of the reagent does no harm. For a solution containing about 500 mgms. of copper and silver together, 60 to 70 c. c. of the saturated oxalate solution will be enough, even if copper predominates very largely ; the larger the proportion of silver, the less oxalate will be needed. Classen's arrangement of electrodes consist of a platinum dish for the cathode, with vertical sides, holding about 225 c.c, and for the anode a platinum disk 4.5 cm. in diameter, pierced with several holes 5 mm. in diameter, and fastened to a stout platinum wire. These electrodes are supported on a stand, with a glass post carrying a brass ring for the dish and a short rod for the disk, with binding screws for connection with the bat- tery. The wire fastened to the anode passes through a small 152 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ I40. hole in the centre of a cover-glass ; the platinum dish is filled with the solution to such a level that, when the cover is in place, the lowest part of its convex surface is in contact with the liquid directly over the anode, and for an area a little larger than that of the anode ; thus all spattering of the liquid on to the cover from the bubbles of gas evolved at the anode is avoided, and also the consequent necessity for rinsing the cover into the dish towards the close of the operation. The most convenient source of the current is a storage battery. The analysis. Dissolve about 500 mgms. of the alloy in di- lute nitric acid, evaporate almost to dryness on the water bath, add 15 c.c. of water, evaporate again almost to dryness, and add 50 c.c. of water to the residue. A clear solution, contain- ing very little free acid, should result. To this add 60-70 c.c. of a cold, saturated solution of ammonium oxalate, allow the precipitate to settle, filter, and wash first with ammonium ox- alate, and then with cold water. Dissolve this silver oxalate in a solution of pure potassium cyanid, transfer the solution to the weighed platinum dish, make its volume up as directed above, and precipitate the silver with a current corresponding to 0.2 to 0.5 c.c. of oxy- hydrogen gas per minute. Before disconnecting always ascertain whether the precipitation is complete ; for this purpose add to the contents of the dish enough water to raise the level of the liquid about 2 mm., and then allow the current to flow half an hour longer ; if no silver is deposited on the walls of the dish above the level of the first solution, the precipitation is com- plete. Confirm by testing with HCl. Remove the cover-glass and anode, pour out the liquid in the dish quickly, and wash the deposit first with water ; holding a wash-bottle mouth lowermost, and with the outer arm of the mouth tube nearly horizontal and very near the inner rim of the dish, direct the stream of water from the mouth-tube on to the inside of the dish above the deposit, while revolving the dish in such a manner as to bring this impact of the water in an oblique direction against the whole circumference of the rim ; pour this water out, and repeat the operation three times. Then wash three times with strong alcohol in the same manner. Remove the last portions of alcohol by blowing into the dish while held in the haijd, dry for an hour in the desiccator, and weigh. Determination of the copper. Evaporate the filtrate and washings from the silver oxalate down to about 150 c.c. if the §§ I4I-I42-J ANALYSIS BY ELECTROLYSIS. 153 volume is much larger than this, transfer at once to the weighed platinum dish, add 20 c.c. of a cold saturated solution of am- monium oxalate, and electrolyze with a current of the same strength as above. Test for complete precipitation as directed for the silver determination, and also by taking out about one c.c. of the liquid with a small pipette and applying the ferrocyanide test. When precipitation is complete wash and dry the dish, as directed above, and weigh. 141. Method 2. Precipitation and determination of the silver as chlorid and the copper by electrolysis. In this method the less expensive platinum foil electrodes can be used, the cathode being about cm. and the anode cm. Dissolve a quantity of the substance containing 250 to 300 mgms. of the metals in water, or in HNO3 if the substance is metallic. In this last case evaporate the solution down till fumes of nitrous acid are no longer evolved, add about 75 c.c. of water and then HCl as long as a precipitate is formed ; make this addition and carry out the subsequent operations as directed for the estimation of HCl in § 133. The liquid will not clarify so readily as in that operation, HCl being in excess instead of silver nitrate. Since the filtrate is to be used for the estimation of the cop- per, none of it or of the washings are to be lost ; as is usual in the separation of substances from one another preliminary to their quantitative estimation, the filtrate and washings must be concentrated by evaporation. 142. The determination of the copper. The solution must be free from HCl or chlorids, and contain nitric acid as its only free acid, except that a very little free sulfuric acid is permissi- ble. If HCl has been added in any previous operation, or the salt is a chlorid, add to the concentrated solution about 20 c. c. of HNO3 and evaporate to dryness on the water bath. Take up the residue with a little water and about 20 c. c. of HNO3, of 1.2 sp. gr., in a beaker of about 250 c. c. capacity, heating a short time if necessary to get complete solution, with the beaker covered, and finally add 180 c. c. of water. Shape the electrodes into a curved form so that they will fit evenly against the sides of the beaker containing the solution, clean them of any organic matter by heating to redness for a moment in the lamp-flame, and lay them in the desiccators ; do not handle the broader parts with the fingers after they have been thus cleaned. Only the larger electrode of each pair is to be 154 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 142- weighed, unless there is reason to suppose that a little lead may be deposited on the other as PbOj, as in the analysis of brass. In weighing, suspend the electrode, by the loop in its platinum wire, on the hook over the balance pan. Put the electrodes in the beaker so that they nearly touch the bottom, bend the platinum wires over the edge of the beaker, thus suspending each one in its place, and make the connections with a current corresponding to three to four c.c. of oxyhydrogen gas per minute. Cover the beaker during the electrolysis. From twelve to twenty-four hours will be required for the com- pletion of the electrolysis, with 250-300 milligrams of copper in the solution. When the solution appears quite colorless, rinse the cover into the beaker, add a little more water so as to raise the level of the liquid by about half a centimeter, stir gently to mix in the added "water, and after one or two hours observe whether any copper is deposited on that part of the electrode freshly immersed ; if not, confirm the test by adding aaimonia to about five c. c. of the liquid till in slight excess, then acetic acid till acid, and then KjFeCye; there should be no red precipi- tate or coloration. The deposition of the copper being complete, slowly raise the electrode out of the liquid while it is still in the circuit, rinsing it off on both sides with water as it is raised, finally leaving only one corner immersed; then lift it quite out, and rinse off this corner ; finally rinse off with alcohol, and dry as directed in Method I. In the place of an ordinary beaker, one with a lateral tubulure near the top is often used ; the washing of the electrode is done by conducting a small stream of water to the bottom of the beaker, till the overflow through the tubulure is no longer acid ; then the current can be discontinued without danger of redissolv- ing any of the copper. PART V. LISTS OF APPARATUS AND REAGENTS, SPE- CIFIC GRAVITY AND OTHER TABLES. 143. The qualitative set of apparatus. One apparatus, Marsh (flask, funnel-tube, rubber cork, con- ducting tube, and platinum foil) ; one bottle, glass-stoppered, 60 c.c, with AgNOaj one bottle, glass-stoppered, with alco- hol; one crucible, porcelain. No. 8; one evaporator, porcelain, 70 mm. ; one package of 50 filters, 7 cm. ; one package of 100 filters, 9 cm. ; one finger cap, rubber ; two flasks, conical (Erlenmeyer), 60 c.c. ; two flasks, conical (Erlenmeyer), 100 c.c. ; one flask, ordinary, flat bottom, 60 c.c; . one forceps; three funnels, 50 mm. opening ; one mortar and pestle; one lamp with 60 cm. of 6 mm. rubber tube; one piece plain glass, 10 x 10 cm. ; one platinum cup and wire; two 10 cm. rods of glass; one sand bath; one spatula of horn ; jju* ipuilgt! ; "" one stand, of iron, withrings; six test-tubes, 10 cm. long ; twelve test-tubes, 15 era. long; one test-tube holder; one test-tube rack; one test-tube brush ; three tubes, bulbed for arsenic test ; one tube, dropping, drawn out at one end ; one tube, with loop, for CO2, H2SO3, and HCy tests; one wash-bottle; one watch-glass, 28 mm. ; one wire triangle. 144. Directions concerning the use of this apparatus. This set of apparatus comprises all that is essential for the work in quali- tative analysis. Some of the pieces will, of course, be broken sooner or later, and may perhaps have to be replaced many times during the term. The student is advised to keep his set always full ; there is nothing superfluous in it, and it is mis- taken economy to attempt to carry on the work with any pieces wanting. The Marsh apparatus is used only in the test for arsenic in the course for the tin group. 156 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 1 44. Use the evaporator only for evaporating liquids ; set it directly over the lamp without the intervention of a sand-bath, not more than a centimeter above the mouth of the lamp tube, and turn the gas down so low that the flame will not rise higher on the outside than the level of the liquid within. Use the crucible for heating the residues from evaporations ; see § 47 on ignition. "Y^xt finger cap is convenient for protecting the skin from con- tact with corrosive liquids, when it is necessary to close the mouth of a test-tube, to be inverted for mixing its contents. Always use smaller filters when only small quantities of a sub- stance are to be filtered out. The flasks can be heated- over a direct flame, with the same precautions as given above for heating evaporators. Consult §§ S3> 54) o" digestion and boiling. Keep the forceps entirely from contact with solutions that you are analyzing, lest you may report copper and zinc incorrectly. To light the lamp, turn on the full flow of the gas, and not till after it is lighted turn it down to the desired point ; a flame from five to seven centimeters high is the most suitable for ordi- nary work, and should always be used except when special di- rections are given for a lower or a higher flame. Be particularly careful in turning the flame down very low, that it does not "strike down" and burn at the little jet by the air inlets; when this has taken place, the gas burns also at the mouth of the tube with a pale, light-colored, slender flame, and not with an almost colorless, somewhat bulging flame, without light, as it should ; when burning in this way the whole lamp may become hot and burn the fingers if touched ; it is to avoid this that the directions are given as above for lighting the lamp. The only way to set the matter right when the lamp is burning in this way, is to shut the gas off' entirely and light it again in the manner directed above. Keep your platinum cup bright and clean ; fuse a little potas- sium bisulfate in it, and soak the fused mass off" with hot water when it cannot be cleaned by heating with HCl. Do not bring the horn spatula in contact with strong acid or alkaline liquids, or the sponge in contact with strong acids. See § 54 about heating liquids in test-tubes. Do not have any acid in the test-tube when cleaning it with the brush. Put only sand enough in the sand-bath to fill it about one- third. Put only distilled water in the wash-bottle. §§ 145-146-] APPARATUS, REAGENTS|, ETC. 157 145. The apparatus for quantitative work. The smaller of the two sets of apparatus given below is issued to students taking only the short course of quantitative work laid out in Part IV, and occupying about one hundred and ten hours of actual practice. The other set is issued to those taking a longer course and working more hours. There is occasional use for some expensive pieces of apparatus, especially by students taking the longer course of work, which are not included in these sets. In the author's laboratory these can be obtained, for such temporary use, of the supply clerk, checks being in all cases deposited for each piece ; any piece of apparatus drawn on check is to be returned, as soon as the special work for which it was required is completed, and the check is to be reclaimed. Checks missing at the end of the term may be charged for at a rate much above their actual cost, since, under this system, they may represent apparatus of great value ; there- fore it behooves the student to look after them carefully. 146. The smaller quantitative set of apparatus. * ^wonq ^ apparatus checks; seven beakers (one 30 c.c, four 200 c.c, two 300 c.c); six beaker covers (two 62 mm., four 80 mm.) ; five bottles (one 60 c.c. with AgNOa, one 250 c.c. with alcohol, two 1000 c.c, flat stoppered, one 500 c.c, wide mouth) ; two burettes, 50 c.c. graduated in -^ c.c, with rubber tube, glass ball, and jet ; two burette floats ; two crucibles, porcelain. No. 7; uiiu eiuLl'IM, - Caldwell Gooch, - with perforated plat i- num dioli ; one crucible tongs; two desiccators, with glass cov- ers and triangles ; t ii vo ' e¥ap 9 ratoi ' 3, 'i ' ia"m m. ; fifty filters (25 for quantitative filtration, 25 common) ; tln^ flasks (one 60 c.c, Ipwe 250 c.c, conical, with lateral tube and rubber stopper, for suction filtration) ; one forceps ; 4n»e funnels (four, usual form, 50 mm., ono cup ohapod fof the Gooch cruciblc j ; one lamp, Bunsen, with 60 centimeters of 6 mm. rubber tube; one sheet glazed paper, cut (see § 119) ; one pipette, 25 c.c, with mark on neck ; one white plate ; four rods of glass ; one spatula, horn V e««i*JwwiwiiW(pr ; two triangles, platinum-wrapped^ one tube, dropping, drawn out at one end ; iTS»ety centimeters rubber tube, 3 mm.; three test-tubes, 10 cm.; one tube, graduated ; one wash-bottle (flask with rubber cork and tubes) ; two watch- glasses, 38 mm. ; one wire, platinum, in glass handle ; -Gse 158 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§§ I47-I48. Also, one iron rod with two lamp rings, one rod with funnel holder, and one **Q} burette holder, all for the fixed iron stand on the table. 147. The larger set of apparatus. Twenty apparatus checks; seven beakers (one 30 c.c, four 200 CO., two 300 CO.); ten beaker covers (two 62 mm., six 80 mm., two 95 mm.) ; -Jen bottles (one 60 c.c. with AgNOs, one 250 c.c, with alcohol, one 1000 c.c. with dis t illed water , one 500 c.c, wide mouth, two 250 c.c, two 500 c.c, flat stopper, two 1000 c.c, flat stopper); two burettes, 50 c.c. gradu- uated in Jj-, with jet, rubber tube, and glass ball ; two burette floats ; *«o — con e o, — platinum^ — for — suciiuu — flllialiuii ; four crucibles, porcelain (two No. 7 ordinary, two No. 6 Cald- well-Gooch, ' i Tit h p r rfnnt rd plntinnm rli i1-T) ; one crucible tongs; one cylinder, 100 c.c, graduated; two desiccators, with glass covers and triangles ; six evaporators (two no mm., two 145 mm., two 180 mm.); one hundred filters (twenty-five ordinary, twenty-five 7 era., and fifty 9 cm. for quantitative filtration); seven flasks (one ordinary 60 c.c, two 500 c.c. Erlenmeyer, with lateral tubulure for suction filtration, two Erlenmeyer, 250 c.c, two ditto, 400 c.c; one forceps; eight funnels (six ordinary, 50 mm. opening, tjro cup-shape for Gooch crucible ; one lamp, Bunsen, with 60 centimeters of 6 mm. rubber tube ; one mortar and pestle ; one sheet paper, glazed, cut (see § 119); four pipettes (one 10 c.c, one 25 c.c, one 50 c.c, each with mark on neck, one 10 c.c, graduated) ; one white plate; eight rods, glass, 15-18 cm. long; one spatula, horn ; one thermometer ; two triangles, platinum-wrapped ; one dropping-tube ; ninety centimeters of 3 mm. rubber tube ; twelve test-tubes (six 10 cm., six 15 cm.) ; one test-tube brush ; one test-tube holder ; one test-tube rack ; one test-tube, gradu- ated; two wash-bottles (one 250 c.c, one 500 c.c.) with rubber corks and tubes complete; four watch-glasses (two 35 mm., two 50 mm.) ; one-pair oLweighirrg ■ttri!res7-ntad>e-fr&m two test- -twbe?; tinr Y ti i br ; one wire, platinum, in handle ; one wire gauze, 10 cm. square ; also, one iron rod with two lamp rings, one rod with funnel holder, and one flf&b burette holder, all for the fixed iron stand on the table. 148. List of the reagents used in the work described in this book, arranged in the alphabetical order of their full names and § 148.] APPARATUS, REAGENTS, ETC. 159 giving, when practicable, the number of grams to be taken for 1000 c.c. of solution. In the case of those given in italics, refer to § 150 for special directions for making the solutions. Acetic acid, HC2H3O2. Alcohol, C2H5OH or QHeO. Ammonia alum. Ammonium carbonate, (NH4)jCOs. 250 Ammonium chlorid, NH4CI. 100 Ammonium ferrous sulfate (NH4)jS04.FeS04 -(- 6H2O. Ammonium hydroxid, NHjOH. Ammonium molybdate, (NH4)2Mo04. Ammonium oxalate, (NHjjCjOi -f- HjO. 75 Ammonium sulfid, (NHi)2S (or, with excess of sulfur, (NH4)2Sj). Aqua regia, 3 HCl, i HNO3. Barium carbonate, BaCOs. Barium chlorid, BaCl2 + 2H2O. 75 Barium hydroxid, Ba(0H)2. saturated solution. Borax, NajB^O, -f- 10H2O. Bromin (solution), Br. Calcium carbonate, CaCOs. Calcium hydroxid, Ca(0H)2 (or milk of lime). saturated solution. Calcium sulfate, CaSOi -f aHjO. saturated solution. Carbon dioxid (or carbonic acid), CO2. Carbon disulfid, CS2. Chlorin (water), CI. Chromic acid cleaning mixture. Cochineal, tincture of. Ferric chlorid, FeClj. Ferrous sulfate, FeSO^ + 7H2O. Hydrochloric acid, concentrated, HCl. Hydrochloric acid, dilute, HCl. Hydrosulfuric acid, or hydrogen sulfid, HjS. Indigo solution. lodin solution. Iron filings, Fe. Iron wire, piano. Lead acetate, Pb(C2H302)2 + sHjO. 100 Lead acetate and ammonium acetate. Lime water. saturated solution. l6o ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 1 49. Litmus solution- Magnesia mixture. Mercuric chlorid HgCl2. 5° Methyl orange, indicator. 0.5 Nitric acid, concentrated, HNO3. Oxalic acid, HaQO* + 2H2O. 100 Phenyl-sulfuric acid. Potassium acetate, KC2H5O2. saturated solution. Potassium bisulphate, KHSO4. Potassium chlorate, KClOs , Potassium chromate, KjCrO^. 100 Potassium cyanid, KCy, or KCN. 50 Potassium dichromate, K^CrzO,. 50 Potassium ferricyanidjKsFeCys, or K3Fe(CN)6. 10 Potassium ferrocyanid, K4FeCy6 0rK4Fe(CN)6 + 3H2O. 50 Potassium iodid, KI. 50 Potassium nitrate, KNOj. Potassium permanganate, KMn04. Potassium sulfate, KjSO,. 100 Potassium sulfocyanate, KCNS or KCyS. 50 Silver nitrate, AgNOs- 50 Sodio-cobaltic nitrite, (NaN02)3 Co(N02)3. Sodium carbonate, NajCOs -|- 10H2O. 200 Sodium hydroxid, NaOH. 150 Sodium phosphate, Na2HP04 + 12H2O. 75 Sodium thiosulfate, NazSjOa. Sodium sulfite Na^SOj. 100 Stannous chlorid, SnCl2. Starch. Sulfuric acid, concentrated, H2SO1. Sulfuric acid, dilute, H2SO4. Tartaric acid, H2C4H4O6. 100 Zinc (metallic), Zn. Zinc, sulfate, ZaSO^ + 7H2O. 100 149. List of such reagents as are usually named only by their formulas, in the description of the analytical work, arranged in the alphabetical order of their formulas. AgNOs, silver nitrate. BaClj, barium chlorid. BaCOs, barium carbonate. Ba(0H)2, barium hydroxid. § 1 49 -J APPARATUS, REAGENTS, ETC. l6l CaCOa, calcium carbonate. Ca(OH)2, calcium hydroxid or lime water. CaSOi, calcium sulfate, QlijOH, or QHeO, alcohol. CI, chlorin (water). CO2, carbon dioxid, or carbonic acid. CSu, carbon disulfid. Fe, iron (filings). FeCla, ferric chlorid. FeSOi, ferrous sulfate. HCjHjOz, acetic acid. HjCiHjOs, tartaric acid. HCl, hydrochloric acid, concentrated. HCl, hydrochloric acid, dilute. H2C2O4, oxalic acid, HNO3, nitric acid, concentrated. HNO3, nitric acid, dilute. H2S, hydrogen sulfid. HaSOi, sulfuric acid, concentrated. H2SO4, sulfuric acid, dilute. HgClj, mercuric chlorid. KC2H3O2, potassium acetate. KCl, potassium chlorid. KCIO3, potassium chlorate. K2Cr04, potassium chromate. K^CrjO,, potassium dichromate. KCy, or KCN, potassium cyanid. KCyS, or KCNS, potassium sulfocyanate. KsFeCys, or K3Fe(CN)e, potassium ferricyanid. KiFeCys, or K4Fe(CN)8, potassium ferrocyanid. KHSO4, potassium bisulfate. KI, potassium iodid. KMn04, potassium permanganate. KNO3, potassium nitrate. K2SO4, potassium sulfate. NaCjHjOa, sodium acetate. NajCOg, sodium carbonate. NaaHPOi, sodium phosphate. NaNOs, sodium nitrate. (NaN02)3Co(NOa)3, sodio-cobaltic nitrite. NaOH, sodium hydroxid. Na2S03, sodium sulfite. l62 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ I50. NajSjOg, sodium thiosulfate. NH4CI, ammonium chlorid. NH4CNS, ammonium sulfocyanate. (NH4)2C03, ammonium carbonate. (NHijjCjOi, ammonium oxalate. (NH4)2 M0O4, ammonium molybdate. NH4OH, ammonium hydroxidt (NH4)2S, ammonium sulfid. (NH4)jSj, ammonium sulfid, with excess of sulfur. Pb(C2Hs02)2, lead acetate. SnClj, stannous chlorid. Zn, zinc (metallic). ZnSOi, zinc sulphate. 150. Special directions for the preparatioti of reagents or solu- tions. The strength of the acids. Hydrochloric acid : — Only for the solution of the precipitated sulfids of the metals of the 6th group is acid of full strength (about 1.2 sp. gr.) required. For ordinary use, this acid diluted with its volume of water is sufficiently strong ; this moderately diluted acid is indicated by the heavy- faced symbol HCl, and is about i.i sp. gr. For dilute hydrochloric acid, indicated by HCl, add to the fully concentrated acid eight parts of water. Nitric acid : — For the concentrated acid for ordinary use, indicated by HNO3, add to the fully concentrated acid its vol- ume of water, making an acid of about 1.2 sp. gr. Sulfuric acid: — For the dilute acid, H2SO4, add one part of ordinary concentrated acid, H2SO4, to four parts of water. Ammonium carbonate: — Dissolve 250 gms. of the salt in a mixture of 200 c.c. of ordinary aqua ammonia and 800 c.c. of water. Ammonium hydroxid : — The solution for laboratory use should have a specific gravity of about 0.96. Ammonium molybdate : — For two litres of solution take 1300 c.c. of water; to 200 c.c. of NH4OH add 300 c.c. of this water, and dissolve 100 gms. of molybdic acid jn this diluted ammonia. To 500 c.c. of fully concentrated nitric acid add the rest of the water, and to this add the ammoniacal molybdic solution, slowly and with constant stirring ; let the whole stand in a warm place 48 hours, and decant off the clear solution for use. § ISO.] APPARATUS, REAGENTS, ETC. 163 Ammonium sulfid : — Pass HjS through ordinary ammonia water till the solution gives no precipitate with MgSOi, and to 700 c.c. add 300 c.c. of NH^OH. For the sulfid indicated by (NH4)2Sj dissolve sulftir in this solution to saturation. Brotnin solution : — To a solution of 50 gms7~of potassium bromid in 500 c.c. of water, add bromin till no more is dis- solved when the mixture is well shaken. Cochineal, tincture of : — Digest 3 grams of cochineal for a long time in 250 c.c. of a mixture of 3 to 4 parts of water and I part of alcohol, and filter, or decant. If the solution to be titrated is heated when this indicator is used, the presence of free carbonic acid does not appreciably mask the change of color. Tke chromic acid cleaning mixture : — To about 150 c. c. of warm water in a beaker add about 40 grams of ordinary powdered KjCr^O, ; when all the salt is dissolved, cool the solution and pour it slowly and with constant stirring into about 230 c. c. of H2SO4. When the mixture is cold transfer it to a 500 c. c, wide-mouth, glass-stoppered bottle; any por- tion of it once used for cleaning can be poured back into the bottle. Shake it up when about to pour it into a vessel to be cleaned, for the red crystals are the most effective part for cleansing purposes. As it is a strongly corrosive liquid, any of it dropped on the table should be at once washed off with much water. It is to be used only for cleaning glass ware that cannot be cleaned by ordinary treatment with water, or with a little hot HCl, and then with water ; it is never to be used for cleaning beakers, flasks, or evaporators, unless they have had some organic matter in them, such as fat or oil, that water will not remove. To clean a burette, put it mouth downward into the bottle containing the mixture, and, opening the ball valve in the rubber tube, slowly suck the liquid up, with as much of the red precipi- tate of chromic acid as possible, to within three or four centi- meters of the rubber tube ; on letting the valve close the liquid will stand at that height, and can be left undisturbed as may be desired, with the simple precaution to so support the burette that it cannot upset the bottle by its weight. On rinsing the burette out afterward, take off the rubber tube ; the cleaning mixture should never come in contact with that. To clean a pipette, attach a short piece of rubber tubs to the mouth, and with the point in the cleaning mixture in the bottle. 1 64 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ I50. cautiously draw the liquid up to the mark on the neck ; then pinch the rubber tube tight while closing its open end with a short piece of glass rod. Ferric chlorid : — For this solution use the ammonio-ferric chlorid, which is not so deliquescent as the ferric chlorid itself, dissolving loo gms. in a litre of water. Ferrous sulfate: — This solution should be freshly prepared; or if kept on the shelves it should be acidified with H2SO4 (100 gms. FeSOi, 500 c. c. water, 5 c. c. H2SO4), and should always be kept acid, and have a little undissolved iron in it. Indigo solution : — To 5 parts of fuming sulfuric acid, add slowly and with constant stirring one part of finely pulverized indigo, in a beaker immersed in cold water ; let the mixture stand 48 hours, the beaker being covered, then pour it into twenty times its volume of water, mix and filter. lodin solution: — In 500 c. c. of water dissolve 18 gms. of potassium iodid, and then 7 gms. of iodin. Lead acetate and ammonium acetate : — Acidify with acetic acid a mixture of equal parts of solution of lead acetate and a ten per cent, solution of ammonium acetate. Litmus solution: — Boil the litmus three or four times with 85 per cent, alcohol, and finally filter. Wash the insoluble residue once with a little water, by decantation, and then digest it with hot water and filter. Divide this extract in two portions. Just barely acidify one portion with H2SO4, make the other portion very weakly alkaline with NaOH solution, and mix the two portions together. The solution will keep better if in a loosely stoppered bottle. A few drops of a solution of salicylic acid in 20 to 30 parts of alcohol added to 100 c. c. of the litmus solu- tion will preserve it completely from mould. Magnesia mixture: — Dissolve 100 grams of MgClj and 200 grams of NH4CI in 400 or 500 c. c. of water, add 400 c. c. of ammonia, sp. gr. .96, make the solution up to one liter, let stand several days in a closed bottle, and decant off the clear liquid from any precipitate that may have separated out. Phenyl-sulfuric acid : — Dissolve one part of carbolic acid in four parts of H2SO4, and add two parts of water. Sodio-cobaltic nitrite: — Dissolve 100 gms. of sodium nitrite in 300 c.c. of water, add acetic acid to feeble acid reaction, and 10 gms. of cobaltic nitrate ; let the solution stand for several hours and filter if not clear. Since the reagent decomposes slowly, it is better pot to make a large quantity at once. If it § 1 5 O.J APPARATUS, REAGENTS, ETC. 1 65 loses its precipitating power for potassium, the addition of more sodium nitrite will restore its efficiency. Stannous chlorid : — To a saturated solution of tin in hot HCl add four parts of water and a few pieces of granulated tin ; the solution should always have an excess of tin and a slight quantity of free acid in it. As to the important matter of the purity of these reagents, pure nitric and hydrochloric acids will be found on the reagent shelves, except that there may be slight traces of sul- furic acid in the latter, and of hydrochloric acid in the former; pure ammonia is supplied also. The quality of the other reagents will be as good as practicable, but the student should form the habit of testing them in cases where any im- purities that they might contain, such as chlorid or sulfate, would affect his results. Fresenius gives, in his works on quali- tative and quantitative analysis, a full account of the tests that should be made. It may sometimes occur that a reagent is not perfectly clear, in which case some of it should be filtered for use, especially in quantitative work. i66 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§'51 151. TABLE OF ATOMIC WEIGHTS. These atomic weights are taken from a revised table by F. W. Clarke, and issued December 6th, 1890; the rare elements are omitted. The full table, as stated by the revisor, " represents the latest and most trustworthy results, reduced to a uniform basis of comparison with Oxygen = 16." Name. Symbol. Atomic Wkight. Name. Symbol. Atomic Weight. Aluminum, . . Al 27. Manganese, . . . Mn 55- Antimony, Sb 120. Mercury, . . . Hg 200. Arsenic, . . . As 75- Molybdenum, Mo 96. Barium, . . . . Ba 137- Nickel Ni S8.7 Bismuth, . . Bi 208.9 Nitrogen, . . . N 14-03 Boron, . . B II. Oxygen, .... 16. Bromin, . Br 79-95 Phosphorus, . P 31- Cadmium, . Cd 112. Platinum, . Pt 195- Calcium, ... Ca 40. Potassium, K 39" Carbon, . C 12. Selenium, Se 79- Chlorin, . . . CI 35-45 Silicon, . . Si 28.4 Chromium, . . Cr S2.I Silver, ... Ag 107.92 Cobalt, Co 59- Sodium Na 23-05 Copper Cu 63-4 Strontium, . . . Sr 87.6 Fluorin, . . . F 19. Sulfur S 32.06 Gold, . . Au 197-3 Tellurium , . Te 125. Hydrogen, . . H 1.007 Tin Sn 119. lodin, . . . I 126.85 Titanium, . . . Ti 48. Iron, Fe 56. Tungsten, . . . W 184. Lead, ..... Pb 206.9s Uranium, .... u 239.6 Lithium, . . Li 7.02 Zinc Zn 65-3 Magnesium, . . Mg 24.3 Zirconium, . . . Zr 90.6 . §§ IS 2-1 S3- J APPARATUS, REAGENTS, ETC. 167 15a. — Table giving grams of NH3 in 100 c.c. of solution of NHjOH, of different specific gravity, at is° C. (Lunge and Wernik : Zeit., ang. Cheniie, 1889.) Specific Grams NH3 Specific Grams NH3 Specific Grams NH3 Gravity. IN 100 c.c. Gravity. IN 100 c.c. Gkavitv. ■ IN 100 c.c. .960 9.51 •932 16.81 .904 2439 •958 10.03 •93° 17.34 .902 24.94 •956 IO.S4 .928 17.86 .900 25^So ■954 11.07 .926 18.42 .898 26.05 •952 11.59 •924 18.93 .896 26.60 •950 12.10 .922 19^47 .894 27^iS .948 12.62 .920 20.0 1 .892 27.70 .946 13-13 ' .918 20.56 .890 28.26 •944 i3^65 .916 21.09 .888 28.86 •942 14.17 .914 21.63 .886 29.46 .940 14.69 .912 22.19 .884 30-14 ■938 15.21 .910 22.74 .882 30.83 •936 i5^74 .908 23.29 •934 16.27 .906 23^83 153. — Table giving grams of SO3 in 100 c.c. of solution of different specific gravity, at iS° C. (Lunge and Isler: Zeit. ang. Chemie, 1890. p. 129.) Specific Grams SO3 Specific Grams SOj Specific Grams SO3 Gravity. IN icDO c.c. Gravity. IN 100 c.c. Gravity. IN 100 C.c. 1.08 10.3 '■35 49-4 I.61 91.3 •' 1. 10 12.9 i^36 50.9 1.62 93^o I. II 14.3 ••37 52^5 1.63 94-7 1. 12 i5^6 1.38 54^1 I 64 96.4 I-I3 16.9 1-39 55^7 ■ 1.6s 98.1 1. 14 18.3 1.40 57-3 1.66 99.8 i.iS 19.6 1.41 58.9 1.67 101.6 1. 16 21.0 1.42 60.4 1.68 103.4 1. 17 22.4 1.43 62.0 1.69 io5^3 I.I8 23.8 ••44 63.6 1.70 107. 1 1. 19 25^3 1.45 65.1 1.71 108.9 1.20 26.S 1.46 66.7 1.72 110.8 1. 21 28.2 1.47 68.3 ••73 112.7 1.22 29.7 1.48 699 1-74 1 14.6 1.23 31.2 1.49 71^5 '•75 "6.5 1 1.24 32^7 1.50 73-' 1.76 118.S 1.25 34^1 1.51- 74.8 1-77 120.4 1.26 35.6 1-52 76.4 1.78 122.8 1 1.27 370 '•S3 78.1 1.79 125.2 1.28 38.5 '•54 79.7 1.80 127.7 1.29 40.0 1^55 81.3 . ..81 1 30.5 1.30 41.6 1.56 82.9 1.82 133^8 I3I 43^2 '•57 84.5 1.83 i37^6 1.32 44^7 1.58 86.1 1.84 i43^6 1-33 46.2 '•59 87.7 '•34 47-9 1.60 89^5 i68 ELEMENTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. [§ 154-155. 154. — Table giving grams of HCl in loo parts of hydrochloric acid of different specific gravity, at 15° C. (Ure.) Specific Grams HCl Specific Grams HCl Specific Grams HCl Gravity. IN 100 PTS. Gratity. IN ICXJ PTS. Gravity. IN 100 ^. 1.0259 5-3 1.0859 17-53 I-I473 29-77 1.0298 6.12 1 .0899 18.35 1-1515 30.58 10337 6.93 1.0939 19.17 I-I557 31-40 I-0377 7-75 1.0980 19.98 1.1599 32.21 I. 041 7 8.56 1. 1020 20.80 1.1641 33-03 1.0457 9-38 i.io6i 21.61 1.1681. 33-85 1.0497 10.19 1.1102 22.43 1.1721 34.66 I -0537 1 1. 01 11143 23.24 1. 1762 3548 1.0577 11.83 1.1185 24.06 1. 1802 36.29 1.0617 12.64 1. 1226 24.87 1. 1846 37-11 1.0657 13.46 1. 1267 25-69. 1. 1875 37-92 1.0697 14.27 1.1308 26.51 1.1910 38-74 1.0738 15.09 I-I349 27.32 1. 1946 3955 1.0778 15.90 1.1389 28.14 1. 1982 40.37 1. 0818 16.72 11431 28.95 1.200 40.78 155. — Table giving grams of N2O5 and HNO3 in 100 c.c. of nitric acid of different specific gravities at 15° C. (Lunge and Rey : Zeitschrift fur angewandte Chemie, 1891, p. 16.) Grams Grams Grams Grams Grams Grams Specific NjOs HNO3 Specific NjOb HNOs Specific N2O6 HNOs Gravity. IN IN Gravity. IN IN Gravity. in IN 100 C.C. 100 C.C. 100 c.c. 100 C.C. 100 C.C. 100 C.C. 1.02 3-3 3-8 1. 19 3I-S 36.7 1.36 67.1 78.3 103 4-9 5-7 1.20 33-3 38-8 1-37 69.8 81.4 1.04 ?-^ 7-5 1. 21 35-1 40.9 1-38 72.5 84.6 1.05 8.1 9.4 1.22 36-9 43-0 1-39 75-3 87.9 1.06 9-7 "•3 1.23 38.7 45.2 1.40 78.3 91-4 1. 07 "■3 13-2 1.24 40-7 47-5 1.41 81.6 95-2 1.08 12.9 15.1 1.25 42.7 49-8 ..42 84.9 99.1 1.09 J4.5 16.9 1.26 44-7 52.1 1-43 88.5 103.2 1. 10 16.1 18.8 1.27 46.7 544 1.44 92.1 107.5 I. II '7-7 20.7 1.28 48.7 56.8 1-45 96.1 112.1 I 12 19-5 22.7 1.29 50.8 59-3 1.46 100. 1 II6.8 I-I3 21. 1 24.6 1.30 52.9 bi.7 1-47 104.5 121.9 1. 14 22.8 26.6* I-3I 55-1 643 1.48 109.2 127.4 I-I5 24.5 28.6 1,32 57-3 66.9 1.49 U4.4 '33-5 1. 16 26.2 30.6 1-33 59-7 69.7 1.50 121.0 141^1 '■'7 27.9 32.6 1-34 62.1 72.5 1. 18 29.7 34-7 '■35 , 64-5 75-3 § IS6-] APPARATUS, REAGENTS, ETC. 156. Comparison of measures and weights. 169 — I 9 g Directions are often given, especially in the qualitative work, to add a certain volume of r a liquid to a substance or solution under treat- ment. The adjoining figure represents the 5 actual size of the 10 centimeter test-tubes usu- ally issued to the students in the author's , laboratory ; with the aid of this graduation _ J in cubic centimeters, a close" approximation to 2 any desired quantity of liquid is easily made. 1.5 o.a- AppRoxiMATE Relations Between English and Metric Weights and Measures. I Kilo, equals 2.2 lbs. av. I lb. av. equals 454 grms I Gram " 15.4 grains. I grain " 64.8 mgms I Gram " 0.03s °^' *v- I oz. av. " 28.35 grros I Liter ',' 2.1 pints. I quart " 946 c.c I Liter " 33.8 fluid oz. I fluid oz. " 30 c.c 1 Meter " 39.4 inches. I inch " 2.54 cm Inches X 5 _ = centimeters. Centimeters X 2 = inches. 170 elements of chemical analysis. [§ 157. Course of Laboratory Work in Chemistry. '. 157. The following course of quantitative analytical work, for special students of chemistry at Cornell University, is so planned as to give practice in the greatest variety of manipulation, and also of difficult processes, as is possible in the time allowed for it. It follows the introductory course given in this book. (i) Limestone, complete analysis. (2) Sugar by the volumetric and by the gravimetric method. (3) Nitrogen in organic sub- stances, by the Kjeldahl method. (4'fjHi/k, complete analysis : total solids, fat, sugar, proteids, ash.. (e,~)\Butier ; water, vola-' tile and insoluble fatty acids, iodin equivalent, by Hiibl's method, melting point. (6) Water, sanitary examination : total solids, free and albuminoid ammonia, chlorids, nitrates, nitrites, oxygen consumed, oxygen dissolved. (7) Potassium in a salt. (8) Phosphorus pentoxid in a salt, by the molybdate method. (g)l£/rine; urea by hypobromite, phosphorus pentoxid, by the volumetric uranium method, chlorin by Volhar^'s volumetric method. (10) Feldspar, complete ; silicic oxide, aluminum oxide, potas- sium oxide, calcium oxide, etc. (11) Nitrogen pentoxid, by modified Kjeldahl method, by method of Pelouze and Fresenius. (12) Organic ultimate analysis; carbon and hydrogen in a solid, and in a volatile liquid ; sulfur, chlorin : nitrogen by the absolute method. (13) Iron and steel ; phosphorus by the molybdate- magnesia method, and by titration of the molybdate precipitate witl) permanganate ; manganese, by the Williams method ; car- bon, by the chromic acid method. (14) Chemical toxicology, inorganic; detection and determination, in a mixture with organic matter, of arsenic, and one other substance from the following list : antimony, lead, copper, mercury, cyanogen, phosphorus. (15) Chemical toxicology, organic ; detection, in mixture with organic substance, of two alkaloids selected from the follow- ing list : atropine, aconitine, brucin, coniine, morphine, narco- tine, nicotin, strychnin, veratrin. . (16) Tannin in tanning materials, or indigo, analysis for valuation ; by two methods. (17) Alloys, Jf»f€ itom the following list: type metal, solder, bronze, Wood's metal, tin and lead, bismuth and lead, phosphor bronze. (18) Complete analysis of plfo minerals selected from the following list : beryl, chromite, franklinite, cassiterite, spha- lerite, chalcopyrite, wavellite, celestine, bornite, stibnite, molyb- § 1 57- J APPARATUS, REAGENTS, ETC. I71 denite, lepidolite, rutile, fahleiz, strontianite, wolframite, petalite, boro natrocalcite., (j.<)) Separations ; nickel and cobalt; arsenic, antimony and tin. (20) Wine, or tobacco, or food substance^ complete analysis; in wine, alcohol, extract, sugar, free acid, tannin, glycerine; in tobacco, nic6|in, nitrate, ammonia; in food., or fodder, ash, proteids, ether-extract, fiber, nitrogen-free extract, non-albumi- noid nitrogen. (.21) Analysis by electrolysis ; Reparation and determination of copper and manganese, copper and lead, copper and nickel, antimony'^nd tin. In connection with this work, and partly following it, instruc- tion is also given in ga^,,analysis, and the use of the micro- scope, spectroscope, colorinieter, polariscope, and refractometer, in chemical analvsis. INDEX. Acetic acid, in qualitative analysis, 58^ 66. Acid, defined, 9 Acidification, operation of, 33. Acidimetry, 139. Acidigenic elements and groups, list of, 25. Acidigens, or acids, notes on the chemistry ot the analysis for, 59. Acids, barium group, solubility of com- pounds and reactions, 53 ; analysis of, 61 ; organic group, ditto, ditto, 58, 66 ; oxi- dizing group, ditto, ditto, 58, 66; silver group, ditto, ditto, 56, 63, Alkalimetry, 139. Alkalization, 33. Aluminum in qualitative analysis, 92, 93 ; group of basigens, forms of occur- rence and reactions,. 92; analysis for, 92 ; notes on chemistry of analysis for, 92: Ammonia, standard solution, preparation, 141 ; determination of strength of, 144 ; solution. Table of specific gravity, 167. Ammonium, in qual. analysis, g8, gg ; carbonate, as reagent, 162 ; hy- droxid, reagent, preparation, 162 ; magnesium phosphate, as quant, ppt., 146 ; raolybdate, reagent, prepara- tion, 162 ; sulfid, reagent, prepa- ration, 163. Antimony in qual. analysis, 72-7S; deter- mination by iodometry, 154. Apparatus, qualitative set, 155; directions for use of, 155; quantitative set, larger, 15S ; smaller set, 157. Aqua regia, oxidation and chlorination by, 16. Areometer, principle of, 127. Arsenic in qual. analysis, 71, 78. Asbestos filters, 121. Assay : the testing of a metal or an ore to determine the proportion of its valu- able constituents. Atomic weights, table of, 166. Balance, description and use of, 101-103. Barium, in qual. analysis, 94, 97; sul- fate, as quantitative ppt., 138. Base, defined, 10. Basigenic elements and groups, list of, 25. Bismuth in qual. analysis, 79, 83. Boiling of liquids, loss in,32 ; how to conduct, 36. Boric acid, in qual. analysis, 55, 62. Bromin, conditions under which set free, 29 ; -^^ oxidation by, 17 ; solution as reagent, 163. Burette, calibration, 114; use of, 112. Cadmium, in qual. analysis, 79, 83. Calcium, in qual. analysis, 94, 97 ; determi- nation of, 147; group, forms of occurrence and reactions, 94 ; analysis of 95 ; notes on chemistry of analysis, 95; oxalate, as quant, ppt,, 147; oxidation of by KMnj04, 148. Cald well-GoocJi crucible , 121; platinum jacket for, 122. Calibration; the determination of the rela- tive values of the different parts of a scale. Calibration of graduated instruments, 113. Carbonate, analysis of by alkalimetry, 144. Carbon dioxid, in qual. analysis, 53, 61. Chloric acid, in qual. analysis, 58, 69. Chlorination, defined, 11 ; conditions of, 11 ; reactions of, 16. Chlorin, conditions under which set free, 28. Chromic acid cleaning mixture, 163. Chromium in qual. analysis, as acidigen, 54, 62 ; as basigen, 92, 93. Chromic acid, oxidation by, 18. Citric acid in qual. analysis, 58, 67. Cleaning mixture, chromic acid, 163. Cleanliness in laboratory, 38. Cobalt in qual. analysis, 84, go. Cochineal tincture, reagent, 163. Copper, determination by electrolysis, 153; ^-^ in. qual. analysis, 79, 83 ; group, forms ot occurrence anci reactions, 79 ; analysis for, 83 ; notes on chemistry of analysis for, 80 ; separation from silver, 151. Cylinders, graduated, 113. Decantation, 37. Desiccator, 106. Digestion, 35, Electrolysis, determination of copper by, 153; of silver, 152. Eleijients and groups ot same ; basigenic and acidigenic, Table of, 25. Effervescence ; foaming or bubbling of a liquid, due to the rapid setting free of a gas in it. Equation, chemical, correct writing of, 22 ; common errors in, 26; signs of, 25. Ferric chlorid, reagent, preparation, 164. Ferrous sulfate, reagent, preparation, 164. Ferrous and ferric hydroxids, in quant. analysis, 135 Filters, quantitative, 117 ; strengthened by treatment with HNO3, 119. Filtration, 36 ; quantitative, 117 ; — by suction, iig ; in Gooch crucible, 121, Fluxing, 31. Formulas, graphic or structural, 23. Gases, solution of, 7. Gooch crucible, 121, Gold in qual. analysis, 71, 78. Graduated instruments, directions for use of, 115. Gravimetric analysis, definition of, 100. Grouping of substances, qualitative, 41. Groups of elements, acidigenic and basi- genic, 25. Hydriodic acid in qual. analysis, 56, 64. Hydrobromic acid in qual. analysis, 56, 64. Hydrochloric acid in qual. analysis, 57, 65 ; determination of, gravimetric, 142 ; standard solution of, preparation, Z41, and determination of absolute 173 174 INDEX. strength, 142 ; as reagent, prepara- tion, 162 ; Table of specific gravity of, i68. Hydrocyanic acid in qual. analysis, 57, 64. Hydroferri cyanic acid, in qual. analysis, Hydroferrocyanic acid, in qual. analysis, 57. 65- Hydrofluoric acid, in qual. analysis, 55, 62. Hydrogen, conditions under which set free, 28. Hydrosulfuric acid, in qual. analysis, 56, 64. Hydroxids, properties, 44. Hygroscopic, tending to absorb moisture. Hygroscopic substance, weighing of, 104. Ignition of residues from evaporation, 32 ; — - of quantitative ppts., 123. Indicator ; in volumetric analysis, the sub- stance employed to show when the re- action is completed. Indicators, 140. Indigo solution, reagent, preparation, 164. lodin, conditions under which set free, 29. lodin solution, reagent, preparation, 164. lodometry defined, 1491; ^^preparation of solutions for, 149 ; determination of antimony by, 150. Iron, in qual. analysis, 84, 91 ; determi- nation of, gravimetric, 135, ditto volu- metric, 136; group, forms of occur- rence and reactions, 84 ; analysis of, go ; notes on the chemistry of the analysis for, 86. Lead, acetate and ammonium acetate mix- ture as reagent, preparation, 164. Lead, in qual. analysis, 67, 70 ; determi- nation, 145; sulfate, properties as quant, ppt,, 145. Limonite, assay of, 138. Litmus solution, preparation, 164. Magnesia mixture, reagent, preparation, 164. Magnesium in qual. analysis, 94 97 ; py- rophosphate, as quant, ppt,, 146. Manganese, in qual. analysis, 84, gi. Manipulations of analytical chemistry, 30. Maxims, special, for quantitative work, 132. Measuring flask, 113; how to use for making certain volume of a solution, 115. Measurement in volumetric analysis, stand- ard of, 107. Measures and weights, comparison of, 169. Meniscus ; the curved surface of a liquid caused by capillarity. Mercury in qual. analysis, 68, 70, and 79, 83. Metals, solubility of, 6. Metathesis, defined, 18 ; kinds of, 21. Neutralization, 33, Nickel in qual. analysis, 84, 90. Nitric acid, in qual. analysis, 58, 66 ; oxidation by, 15; as reagent, pre- paration of, i6a ; Table of specific gravity of, 168, Nitrogen, conditions under which set free, 29. Normal solution, defined, 108. Note-book, quantitative, 130, Oxalic acid, in qual. analysis, 54, (2. Oxidation, defined, 11 : conditions of, II ; reactions of, 15. Oxygen, conditions under which set free, 27 ; free, oxidation by, 15. Pheynl-sulfuric acid, reagent, preparation, 164, . Phosphoric acid, in qual, analysis, 55, 63; anhydrid, determination, 146. Pipette, J12; calibration of 114; measuring out several portions with, 115; specific gravity, 128. Platinum, in qual.' analysis, 71, 78; ware, use and care of, 129. Potassium, in qual, analysis, 98, 99 ; group, forms of occurrence and reac- tions, 98 ; notes on analysis of, g8 ; ■ chlorate, oxidation and chlorina- tion by, 17; dichromate, standard solution of, 137; permanganate, standard solution of, 148. Precipitation, 34; quantitative, testing for completeness of, 117. Precipitates, description of, 34 ; dissolving of, 37 ; washing of, 37, 120. Precipitates, quantitative, 117; ignition of, 125 ; preparation for weighing, 123 ; removal of from beaker, 118; transfer to crucible, 123 ; washing of, 120. Qualitative analysis, order of arrangement of work, 46 ; course of, tabular view, 49, Rapidity of work, 38, 133. Reaction : the chemical change produced by a reagent. Reagent : the chemical substance used to take part in producing some desired chemical change, in chemical analysis. -Reagents, addition of in excess, 33; list of in alphabetical order of full names, i5g, ditto in alphabetical order of formulas, 160 ; purity of, 165. Records of quantitative work, 131. Reduction, defined, 13; agents of, 14; conditions of, 13; reactions of, 14. Residue; that portion of a substance that is lelt after treatment of it with a sol- vent in some prescribed manner, or after igniting it. Results of quantitative determinations : cal- culation, 125; recording of, 130. Salt, defined, 10; acid, basic, normal, 10, II ; solubility in acids, 6. Silicic acid, in qual. analysis 55, 63, Silver, in qual. analysis, 67, 70; group of basigens, forms of occurrence and reactions, 67 ; analysis of, 68 ; notes on; the chemistry of the analysis, 68 ; chlorid.as quantitative precipitate, 142 determination, 152, 153 ; separation from copper, 151, 153. Sodio-cobaltic nitrite, reagent, 164. Sodium, in qual. analysis, 98, 99. Solids, obtained from solutions, by cooling of saturated solutions, 8 ; ditto, by removal of solvent agent, g. Solubilities, Table of, 5. Solubility of salts in acids, 6. Solution, 3; chemical, 4; deter- mination of specific gravity of, 126:—- — of gases and vapors, 7; ■ making o'l 30; physical, 3; relation of specific gravity to amount of substance contained, 126; relation to tempera- ture, 6, 7; of substance for quali- tative analysis, 48; ditto, for quanti- tative analysis, 116. Solutions, Tables of relative specific gravity and contents explained, 126. Solvents, different solvent power compared, 6. Specific gravity of solutions, by areometer, 126; ditto, by specific gravity pipette, 127. INDEX. 175 Stochiometry : the application of the laws of chemical combination in fixed pro- portions, in chemical calculation. Standard solutions defined, 108 ; use of, 112. Stannous chlorid, reagent, preparation, 165. Strontium in qual. analysis, 94, 97. Substance for analysis, quantitative, quantity taken, 104. Suction filtration, iicj. Sulfids, properties ot, 42, Sulfuric acid, in qual. analysis, 53, 61 ; as reagent, preparation of, 162 ; — ■ Tables of specific gravity of, 167. Sulfuric trioxid, determination of, 150. Sulfurous acid, in qual, analysis, 54, 62. Tests, final, qualitative, 46. Tin, in qual, analysis, 73, 78; group, forms of occurrence and reactions, 71 ; analysis of, 78 ; notes on the chemistry of the analysis, 74. Titration: in volumetric analysis, the act of adding the standard solution to the solution of the substance under analysis, for the purpose of determining how much of it IS required to react upon the substance to be estimated. Valence of the elements, 23. Vapors, solution of, 7. Volumetric analysis, definition of, 100. Wash-bottle, how to use, 120. Washing, quantitative precipitates, 120. Weighing, directions for, 103-106 : records of, 106 ; tubes, 107. Weights, atomic. Table of, 166; set of, for balance, descAbed, 102 ; and measures, compared, 169. Zinc, in qual, analysis, 89, gi.