MCQEasyJEE 2025Salt Analysis (Cations & Anions)

JEE Chemistry 2025 Question with Solution

When a salt is treated with sodium hydroxide solution, it gives gas X. On passing gas X through reagent Y, a brown coloured precipitate is formed. X and Y respectively, are:

  • A

    X = NH3\text{NH}_3 and Y = HgO\text{HgO}

  • B

    X = NH3\text{NH}_3 and Y = K2HgI4+KOH\text{K}_2\text{HgI}_4 + \text{KOH}

  • C

    X = NH4Cl\text{NH}_4\text{Cl} and Y = KOH\text{KOH}

  • D

    X = HCl\text{HCl} and Y = NH4Cl\text{NH}_4\text{Cl}

Answer

Correct answer:B

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given: A salt treated with sodium hydroxide solution gives gas X. Passing gas X through reagent Y gives a brown coloured precipitate.

Find: The correct identities of X and Y.

Step 1: Understand the reaction with sodium hydroxide When an ammonium salt such as ammonium chloride reacts with sodium hydroxide, ammonia gas is evolved.

NH4Cl+NaOHNH3+NaCl+H2O\text{NH}_4\text{Cl} + \text{NaOH} \rightarrow \text{NH}_3 + \text{NaCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O}

Thus, gas X is NH3\text{NH}_3.

Step 2: Analyze reagent Y Ammonia reacts with potassium tetraiodomercurate(II) in the presence of potassium hydroxide to give a brown precipitate. The solution states that the brown precipitate formed is mercury(I) iodide.

NH3+K2HgI4+KOHHg2I2+KCl+H2O\text{NH}_3 + \text{K}_2\text{HgI}_4 + \text{KOH} \rightarrow \text{Hg}_2\text{I}_2 + \text{KCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O}

Therefore, reagent Y is K2HgI4+KOH\text{K}_2\text{HgI}_4 + \text{KOH}.

Therefore, the correct option is B.

Using the ammonia test

Given: Gas X is produced when a salt is treated with sodium hydroxide, and this gas gives a brown coloured precipitate with reagent Y.

Find: Which pair of X and Y matches the observation.

Ammonium salts characteristically liberate ammonia on treatment with a strong base such as sodium hydroxide. Hence the gas released is ammonia, NH3\text{NH}_3.

The confirmatory test mentioned is Nessler's reagent, represented here as K2HgI4+KOH\text{K}_2\text{HgI}_4 + \text{KOH}. Ammonia gives a brown coloured precipitate with this reagent.

So,

  • X = NH3\text{NH}_3
  • Y = K2HgI4+KOH\text{K}_2\text{HgI}_4 + \text{KOH}

Hence, the correct option is B.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming any gas evolved with sodium hydroxide must be hydrogen chloride is incorrect. Ammonium salts specifically release NH3\text{NH}_3 with sodium hydroxide. Identify the salt-base reaction before choosing the gas.

  • Choosing HgO\text{HgO} as the reagent is incorrect because the brown precipitate test for ammonia here is with Nessler's reagent, written as K2HgI4+KOH\text{K}_2\text{HgI}_4 + \text{KOH}. Match the observation with the named confirmatory reagent.

  • Confusing the salt NH4Cl\text{NH}_4\text{Cl} with the gas evolved is incorrect. NH4Cl\text{NH}_4\text{Cl} is the reacting ammonium salt, while the gas actually produced is NH3\text{NH}_3.

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