Salt Analysis – Complete Guide for JEE Main & Advanced (With Free PDF Download)
Salt Analysis is one of the highest-scoring and most predictable chapters in Inorganic Chemistry for JEE Main and JEE Advanced.
Every year, 1–2 direct questions are asked from this topic — yet most students skip it because they find it boring or confusing.
That’s a strategic mistake.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
What Salt Analysis really is
How it is asked in JEE
A smart way to master it
And you’ll get a free downloadable short-notes PDF that covers everything you need
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What Is Salt Analysis?
Salt Analysis (also called Qualitative Analysis) is the identification of:
Cations (basic radicals)
Anions (acid radicals)
present in an unknown inorganic salt using chemical reactions and observations.
In JEE, questions are based on:
Color of precipitate
Solubility
Gas evolved
Flame test
Group reagents
And all of this comes directly from NCERT.
Why Salt Analysis Is Extremely Important for JEE
Salt Analysis is:
Highly NCERT-based
Logic + memory
Low effort, high marks
In JEE Main, questions are usually:
Direct identification
Matching type
Observation based
In JEE Advanced:
Step-wise elimination
Mixed salt logic
Reaction based deduction
If you know the group analysis flow, the chapter becomes mechanical.
Salt Analysis Syllabus for JEE
Anions (Acid Radicals)
CO₃²⁻, SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻, NO₃⁻, NO₂⁻, PO₄³⁻, CH₃COO⁻, S²⁻, SO₃²⁻, etc.
Tests include:
Dilute acid test
Conc. H₂SO₄ test
BaCl₂ test
AgNO₃ test
Cations (Basic Radicals)
Group I
Ag⁺, Pb²⁺, Hg₂²⁺
Group II
Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Bi³⁺, As³⁺, Sb³⁺
Group III
Fe³⁺, Al³⁺, Cr³⁺
Group IV
Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Mn²⁺
Group V
Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺
Group VI
Mg²⁺, NH₄⁺
Each group has:
A group reagent
A characteristic precipitate
A confirmatory test
How JEE Actually Tests Salt Analysis
JEE never asks random theory.
It asks things like:
A salt gives white ppt with AgNO₃ soluble in NH₃… identify the anion.
A blue ppt forms with NaOH and dissolves in excess NH₃… identify the cation.
These are pattern-based.
Once you know the flowchart, answers become automatic.
How to Master Salt Analysis in 5 Days
Day 1 → Anion tests
Day 2 → Group I & II cations
Day 3 → Group III & IV
Day 4 → Group V & VI
Day 5 → Mixed practice + PYQs
Use:
One flowchart
One reaction table
One observation chart
That’s it.
Download Salt Analysis Short Notes (Free PDF)
To make this extremely easy, I’ve compiled all:
Group reagents
Precipitate colors
Solubilities
Confirmatory tests
Shortcut tables
into a JEE-focused, exam-ready PDF.
👉 Download here: Click
These notes are designed for:
JEE 2026
JEE 2027
Droppers
Last-month revision
Final Tip
Salt Analysis is not about memorizing reactions.
It’s about recognizing patterns.
And patterns win marks.
If you revise this chapter even 10 minutes daily, it becomes one of the most reliable scoring areas in JEE Inorganic Chemistry.
Save this page.
Download the PDF.
And make Salt Analysis your free-marks zone. 🚀
