CERTIFICATE

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT NADEESH PARMAR OF

CLASS 12-D
HAS
COMPLETED THE CHEMISTRY PROJECT: - TO
DETERMINE
THE METAL COMPOSITION
OF A ONE RUPEE COIN AND HAS SUBMITTED IT IN
FULL REQUIREMENT FOR THE CBSE EXAMINATION
2015.

Mr R. Choudhary
(Chemistry teacher)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY CHEMISTRY TEACHER,
MR R. CHOUDHARY FOR THE INSPIRATION,
SUGGESTIONS AND VALUABLE GUIDANCE WITHOUT
WHICH IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE FOR
ME TO COMPLETE THIS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK MR. MP SINGH, OUR
LABORATORY ASSISTANT FOR HIS PATIENCE AND
GUIDANCE.

Nadeesh Parmar
12-D

MATERIALS REQUIRED
APPARATUS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

A one rupee coin

Test tubes
Test tube holder
China dish
Bunsen burner
Distilled Water
Glass rod
H2s gas apparatus

CHEMICALS REQUIRED
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Dilute HCl
Dilute H2SO4
Concentrated HNO3
Concentrated HCl
Concentrated H2SO4
Dilute HNO3
NH4OH
NH4CL
NaOH
(NH4)2CO3
K4Fe (CN) 6
THEORY INVOLVED

INTRODUCTION
Everybody comes across various types of coins
every day. These coins are made up of a number of
metals in proportional amounts mixed together.
Most coins used in the modern age are known as
alloys.
METALLURGY
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and
materials engineering that study the physical and
chemical behaviour of metallic compounds, their
intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which
are called alloys. Metallurgy is also the technology
of metals: the way in which science is applied to
the production of meals, and the engineering of
metal compounds for use in products for
consumers and manufacturers. The production of
metals involves the processing of ores to extract
the metal they contain, and the mixture of metals,
sometimes with other elements, to produce alloys.
Metallurgy is distinguished from the craft of
metalworking.
Metallurgy is divided into ferrous metallurgy (black
metallurgy) and non ferrous metallurgy (colour
metallurgy). Ferrous metallurgy involves processes
and alloys based on iron while non ferrous
metallurgy involves processes and alloys based on

other metals. The production of ferrous metals

accounts for 95 percent of world metal production.
Alloy
An alloy is a homogenous mixture of two or more
metals or non metals. Alloys posses lustre and
conduct electricity; although not as well as do pure
metals of which they are formed. An alloy is
distinctive from an impure metal, such as wrought
iron, in that, with an alloy, the added impurities are
usually desirable and will typically have some
useful benefits. Alloys are made by mixing two
mixing two or more elements; at least one of which
being a metal. This is usually called the primary
metal or the base metal, and the name of this meal
may also be the name of the alloy. The other
constituents may or may not be metals but, when
mixed with molten base, they will be soluble,
dissolving into the mixture.
Alloys show crystal defects, which are largely
responsible for the special properties of alloys.
Small atoms of non metals like hydrogen, boron,
nitrogen and carbon are then taken up in the
industrial spaces in metallic conductors. This is how
carbon is present in steel and cast iron form.
The physical properties, such as density, reactivity,
electrical and thermal conductivity, of an alloy may
not differ greatly from those of its elements, but

engineering properties, such as tensile strength

and resistance to corrosion may be substantially
different from those of the constituent materials. An
alloy can often be made to match a predetermined
set of characteristics.

Common engineering metals include aluminium,

chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, nickel,
titanium and zinc. These are most often used as
alloys. Much effort has been placed on
understanding the iron-carbon alloy system, which
includes steels and cast irons. Plain carbon steels
(those that contain essentially only carbon as an
alloying element) are used in low cost, high
strength application where weight and corrosion
are not a problem. Cast irons, including ductile iron
are also a part of the iron-carbon system. Stainless
steel or galvanized steel are used where resistance
to corrosion is important. Aluminium alloys and
magnesium alloys are used for applications where
strength and lightness are required.
Copper-nickel alloys (such as Monel) are used in
highly corrosive environments and for nonmagnetic applications.

I have discussed in this project, the findings of my

experiment to determine the constituent metals in
the Indian one rupee coin.

PROCEDURE
1. Take a clean beaker and pour three test tubes of
dilute HCl in it Add one test tube of concentrated
HNO3 and stir it. This forms a mixture of aquaregia.
2. Take a beaker and put some aquaregia in it.
3. Clean the coin so that no dust is left on them
and dry them. Put the coin in the beaker. Place the
beaker in some safe place and let it remain there
for one to two days.
4. After one or two days the coin will dissolve and a
solution will be formed in the beaker. Add some
water in the solution.
5. Detect the basic radical step by step for each
coin by analysing the solution in the beaker.

The observations and results have been tabulated

in the next few sheets.

OBSERVATIONS

S. EXPERIMENT
N
O
1 GROUP 0
Add NaOH to the
solvent
2 GROUP 1
To the solvent of
the coin add dil.
HCl
GROUP 2
3 Pass H s gas to
2
the group 1
filtrate

GROUP 3
Take the group 2
filtrate and add
conc.
HNO3.NH4CL AND
NH4OH(excess)
CONFIRMATORY
:
1) Lake test
Dissolve ppt. in
dil. HCl, add 2
drops of litmus
solution and
NH4OH drop wise
CONFIRMATORY
:
Dissolve solution
in HCl and divide
it into two parts

OBSERVATI INFERENCE
ONS
No solution
formed
No ppt.
formed

No ppt.
formed

Ppt. Is
formed

Blue ppt.
Floating in
colourless
solution

Prussian
Blue
coloration

Group 0
(NH4+)
absent
Group 1
cations
(Pb2+)
absent
Group 2
cations
(Pb2+, Cd2+)
*Cu2+
discussed
later
Group 3
cations
(Fe3+,Al3+)
may be
present

Al3+
confirmed

GROUP 4
Black ppt. is Group 4
To the solution of formed
cations (Ni2+,
group 3 pass H2S
Co2+) may be
gas
present
CONFIRMATORY
:
Extract with 5ml
of distilled H20.
Divide the
solution into two
parts
1) To the part 1
add NaOH and
few drops of
DMG
2) To other part
add NaOH and
Br2 water
GROUP 5
Take O.S and add
solid NH4Cl,
Excess of NH4OH
and (NH4)2CO3
solution.

Rose or pink
ppt.
Ni2+
confirmed
Black ppt.

No ppt.
formed

Group 5
cations
(Ba2+, Sr2+,
Ca2+) absent

REACTIONS INVOLVED

Fe3+
1.
2.
3.
4.

FeCl3 + 3NH4OH = 3NH4Cl + Fe (OH) 3

Fe (OH) 3 + 3HCl = FeCl3 + 3H2O
4FeCl3 + 3K4Fe (CN) 6 = 12Kcl + Fe4 [Fe (CN)
FeCl3 + 3KCNS = 3KCl + Fe (CNS) 3

Ni2+
1. Ni (OH) 2 + H2s = 2H20 + NiS
2. HNO3 = H2O + 2NO2 + O
3. NiS + 2HCl + 3O = NiCl2 + H2O + NO2

Al3+
1. AlCl3 + NH4OH = 3NH4Cl + Al (OH)3
2. Al (OH) 3 + 3HCl = AlCl3 + 3H20
3. AlCl3 + NH4OH = 3NH4 (OH) + Al (OH)

6 ]3

RESULT
The one rupee coin contains:(1)

Iron (Fe3+)

(2)

Nickel (Ni2+)

(3)

Aluminium (Al3+)

(4) Copper and Zinc may also be present but in

trace amounts because of which they could not be
detected.

BIBLOGRAPHY

Class 12 Chemistry Lab Manual

www.rbi.org
Wikipedia

COMPOSITION OF METALS USED IN INDIAN

COINS
(i) Gold (1835-1918) 91.7% or 22 Carat.
(ii) Standard Silver (1835-1939)
91.7%SiLver+8.3% Copper.
(iii) Silver Alloy (1939-1945) 50%Silver+
40%Copper+ 5%Nickel+ 5%Zinc.
(iv) Silver Alloy (1969-71) 80%Silver+
15%Copper+ 5%Nickel.
(v) Silver Alloy (1972-2002) 50%Silver+40%
Copper+ 5%Nickel+5%Zinc.
(vi) Copper (1835-1906) Pure Copper.
(vii) Bronze (1906-64) 95-97% Copper+ 4%21/2%Tin+1.00%;0.50%Zinc.
(viii) Copper-Nickel (1906-2002) 75%Copper+
25%Nickel.
(ix) Nickel Brass (1964-71,2009-11)
79%Copper+ 20%Zinc+ 1%Nickel.
(x) Nickel (1946-1974) Pure Nickel.
(xi) Aluminum (1965-93) 96%Aluminium+4%
Magnesium.
(xii) Aluminum Bronze (1969-71) 92%
Copper+ 2%Nickel+6%Aluminium.
(xiii) Stainless Steel (1988-2002) Ferritic
Stainless Steel (Iron 83%,Chromium17%)