Tests for the functional groups

Tests for Unsaturation

Experiment Procedure Observation Inference

Disappearance of Compound is
orange-red colour of unsaturated.
Dissolve a little of the given organic bromine.
Bromine Test compound in about 2 ml of distilled
water in a test tube and add few drops of
bromine water to it and shake well.
No disappearance of Compound is
orange-red colour. saturated.

Disappearance of pink Compound is

Dissolve a little of the given organic colour of KMnO4. unsaturated.
Baeyer's Test compound in about 2 ml of distilled
(Alkaline water in a test tube and add few drops of
KMnO4 Test) alkaline solution of KMnO4 to it and
shake well. No disappearance of Compound is
pink colour of KMnO4. saturated.

Tests for Alcoholic Group

 Experiment Procedure Observation Inference

Brisk
effervescence is
Take about 1 ml of the given liquid in a dry test due to the
Sodium metal tube, add about 1gram of anhydrous calcium Brisk evolution of
Test sulphate and shake well to remove water. Filter effervescence is hydrogen gas
the liquid into another clean dry test tube and produced. indicating the
add a small piece of sodium metal.
presence of
alcoholic group.

Take about 1 ml of the give liquid in a clean dry

test tube, add about 1 ml glacial acetic acid and
2-3 drops of conc. sulphuric acid. Warm the A fruity smell is Presence of
Ester Test
mixture on a water bath for about 10 minutes. produced. alcoholic group.
Pour it into about 20 ml of cold water taken in a
beaker and smell.

Take about 1 ml of the given liquid in a clean dry

Ceric ammonium Pink or red colour Presence of
test tube and add few drops of ceric
nitrate Test is developed. alcoholic group.
ammonium nitrate reagent and shake it well.

Take about 2 ml of the given liquid in a clean dry

test tube, add 1 g of anhydrous calcium
sulphate and shake well to remove water. Filter
Acetyl chloride the liquid into another clean dry test tube and White fumes are Presence of
Test to the filtrate, add 2-3 drops of acetyl chloride. produced. alcoholic group.
Shake the test tube well and bring a glass rod
dipped in ammonium hydroxide solution near
the mouth of the test tube.

Distinguishing Tests for Primary, Secondary and tertiary Alcohols

Experiment Procedure Observation Inference

If cloudiness appears Presence of tertiary

immediately. alcohol.

Take about 1 ml of dry alcohol in a

clean dry test tube and add 8-10 If cloudiness appears within Presence of secondary
Lucas Test drops of Lucas reagent. Shake the five minutes. alcohol.
mixture well.

If cloudiness appears only Presence of primary

upon heating. alcohol.
Tests for Phenolic Group

Experiment Procedure Observation Inference

Place a drop of the given liquid (or a crystal if Blue litmus turns to Presence of
Litmus Test solid) on a moist blue litmus paper. red. phenoilc group.

Take about 1 ml of neutral ferric chloride solution

Ferric chloride in a clean test tube and add 2-3 drops of the Violet colour is Presence of
Test given liquid (or crystal is solid). seen. phenolic group.

Take a small quantity of sodium nitrite in a clean

dry test tube and add about 1 ml of the given
liquid (or crystal if solid). Heat the test tube very A deep blue or
gently for half a minute and allow it to cool. Then green colouration is
add about 1 ml of conc. sulphuric acid and shake seen.
the test tube to mix the contents.
Liebermann’s Test Presence of
phenolic group.
Add distilled water carefully to the test tube. Colour turns to red.

Add excess of sodium hydroxide solution to the Deep blue or green

test tube. colour appears.

Take 1 ml of the given liquid in a clean dry test

tube (or crystal if solid) and add 1-2 drops of
conc. sulphuric acid. Heat the test tube for
Phthalein Dye about 1 minute in an oil bath. Cool and pour the Pink colour is seen. Presence of
Test phenolic group.
reaction mixture carefully into a beaker
containing 15 ml of dil. sodium hydroxide
solution.

Tests for Aldehydic and Ketonic Groups

 Experiment Procedure Observation Inference

Take a small quantity of the given compound in

a clean dry test tube, add rectified spirit until
2,4-Dintrophenyl the compound just dissolves. Now add few Yellow or orange Presence of
hydrazine Test drops of 2, 4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine solution. precipitate is carbonyl group.
Cork the test tube, shake the mixture and allow formed.
it to stand for 5 minutes.

Take about 2 ml of saturated solution of sodium

Sodium bisulphite in a clean test tube and add a small White crystalline Presence of
bisulphite Test quantity of the given compound. Cork the test precipitate is carbonyl group.
tube, shake and leave it for 15-20 minutes. formed.

Differentiating Tests for Aldehydes

Experiment Procedure Observation Inference

Dissolve a small quantity of the given compound Presence of

Schiff’s Test in a clean test tube and add about 1 ml of Schiff’s Pink colour is aldehydic group is
seen.
reagent and shake it well. confirmed.

Take about 1 ml of silver nitrate solution in a

clean test tube and add 2-3 ml of dilute NaOH
solution. A brown precipitate of silver oxide
Tollen’s Test forms. Now add dilute ammonia solution Shining silver Presence of
(Silver mirror dropwise until the brown precipitate of silver mirror is formed. aldehydic group is
test) oxide just dissolves. To this add 3-4 drops of the confirmed.
given liquid (or 0.1 g if solid) and warm the test
tube on a water bath for about 5 minutes.

Take 1 ml each of Fehling’s solution A and B in a

Presence of
test tube. Add 4-5 drops of the given organic Red precipitate is
Fehling’s Test liquid (or 0.2g if solid) and warm the test in a formed. aldehydic group is
confirmed.
water bath for 4-5 minutes.

Differentiating Tests for Ketones

 Experiment Procedure Observation Inference

Take a small quantity of the given compound in

a clean test tube and add about 0.1g of finely Violet colour is Presence of
m-Dinitrobenzene powdered m-dinitrobenzene. Now add about 1 formed which ketonic group is
Test ml of dilute sodium hydroxide solution and slowly fades confirmed.
shake it well. away.

Dissolve a small quantity of sodium

nitroprusside in about 1 ml of distilled water in
Sodium a clean test tube and then add a small quantity Presence of
nitroprusside Test of the given compound. Shake the test tube Red colouration. ketonic group is
well and add sodium hydroxide solution confirmed.
dropwise.

Tests for Carboxylic Group

Experiment Procedure Observation Inference

Place a drop of the given liquid (or a crystal if Blue litmus turns to Presence of
Litmus Test
solid) on a moist blue litmus paper. red. carboxylic group.

Sodium
Take 1 ml of the given organic compound in a test Brisk effervescence Presence of
Hydrogen
tube and add a pinch of sodium bicarbonate to it. is observed. carboxylic group.
Carbonate Test

Take a small quantity of the given organic

compound in a clean test tube, add 1 ml of ethyl
alcohol and 1-2 drops of conc. sulphuric acid into You get a fruity Presence of
Ester Test
it. Heat the reaction mixture on a water bath for smell. carboxylic group.
about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into a beaker
containing water.

Tests for Amino Group

 Experiment Procedure Observation Inference

Take a small quantity of the given compound in

Solubility Test a clean test tube and add 2-3 ml of dil.HCl and Compound is Compound may be
shake the test tube well. soluble in dil.HCl. amine.

Place a drop of the given liquid (or a pinch of Red litmus turns Compound may be
Litmus Test solid) on a moist red litmus paper. to blue. amine.

Take a small quantity of solid KOH in a clean dry

test tube and add about 2 ml of ethanol. Warm
Carbylamines the test tube until the pellets dissolve. To this An offensive smell Presence of
Test add a few drops of chloroform and small is produced. primary amine.
amount of the given compound and warm
gently.

Take three test tubes A, B and C. In test tube A,

dissolve a small quantity of the compound in 2
ml of HCl. In test tube B, prepare an aqueous
solution of sodium nitrite. In test tube C, Presence of
Azo-Dye Test dissolve a small quantity of β-naphthol in dilute Formation of a red aromatic primary
sodium hydroxide. Place all the three test tubes or orange dye. amine is confirmed.
in an ice bath. Now add sodium nitrite solution
into test tube A and the resulting solution is
added to test tube C.

Distinguishing Tests for Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Amines

Experiment Procedure observation Inference

Presence of
Bubbles of nitrogen primary aliphatic
gas. amine.
Make a solution of about 1 g of sodium nitrite
in about 5 ml distilled water in a test tube and
cool it in an ice bath. In a separate test tube,
Nitrous acid Presence of
dissolve a small quantity of the given Formation of a yellow
Test secondary
compound in about 1 ml of conc. sulphuric acid oily layer.
amine.
and cool this also in ice bath. Mix both the
solutions.

Presence of
No visible change. tertiary amine.

No precipitate (clear
solution). On addition Presence of
of conc. HCl, insoluble primary amine.
material is seen.
Take a small quantity of the given compound in
a clean test tube, add about 2 ml of 25% NaOH,
2 ml of water and 1 ml of benzene sulphonyl Precipitate is formed in
Hinsberg Test chloride. Shake the mixture for about 10 Presence of
the test tube. It does
minutes and then cool under tap water and secondary
not dissolve in conc.
note the formation of precipitate. Treat the HCl. amine.
precipitate with 2 ml of conc.HCl.

Precipitate is formed in
Presence of
the test tube. It
tertiary amine.
dissolves in conc. HCl.