Class 11 Chemistry practical list: virtual lab with viva questions
87 experiments for Class 11 Chemistry, each one a 3D virtual lab you can open in your browser. 8 are free. Pick an experiment below to read its aim and theory, then run it yourself.
A virtual lab lets you repeat a practical as often as you like before you do it on the bench: you see the apparatus, change one value at a time and watch how the reading changes. It is useful to prepare for the practical exam, to revise the theory behind each experiment and to understand where errors come from. PractiSci follows the NCERT chapters, so the experiments are grouped unit by unit below.
Unit 1: Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry
- Limiting reagent: magnesium and hydrochloric acidFind out which reactant limits the amount of hydrogen produced, and check the mole ratio Mg : H₂ = 1 : 1.
Unit 3: Classification of Elements and Periodicity
- Amphoteric hydroxides: Al and Zn vs MgShow that aluminium and zinc hydroxides dissolve in excess alkali (amphoteric) but magnesium hydroxide does not (basic).
- Flame tests for metal ions (free)Identify metal ions from the colour they give to a non-luminous flame.
- Magnesium with cold and hot waterShow that magnesium (group 2) is much less reactive than the alkali metals: it hardly reacts with cold water but does react with hot water.
- Sodium vs potassium in waterCompare the reactivity of sodium and potassium with water and relate it to ionisation enthalpy down group 1.
- Sodium in water (free)See why alkali metals are the most reactive metals and how the amount of metal decides how violent the reaction is.
Unit 5: Thermodynamics
- Exothermic and endothermic dissolvingCompare dissolving NaOH (exothermic) with NH₄Cl (endothermic).
- Enthalpy of solution: CaCl₂ and KNO₃Measure the temperature change on dissolving anhydrous CaCl₂ and KNO₃ and relate it to lattice and hydration enthalpies.
- Heat of neutralisationMeasure the temperature rise when a strong acid neutralises a strong base and estimate ΔH.
- Hess's law with sodium hydroxideShow that the heat for NaOH(s) + HCl(aq) in one step equals the sum of dissolving NaOH and then neutralising it.
- Enthalpy of reaction: magnesium with acidMeasure the temperature rise when magnesium reacts with excess hydrochloric acid and estimate ΔrH.
- Enthalpy of neutralisation: strong vs weak acidCompare the heat released when NaOH neutralises HCl (strong acid) and CH₃COOH (weak acid).
Unit 6: Equilibrium
- Acid–base titration with phenolphthalein (free)Find the volume of 0.1 M NaOH that exactly neutralises 20 mL of 0.1 M HCl.
- Buffer action of an acetate bufferCompare how the pH of water and of an acetic acid–sodium acetate buffer changes when a little acid or base is added.
- Double-indicator titration of sodium carbonateTitrate Na₂CO₃ with HCl and observe two end points — CO₃²⁻ → HCO₃⁻ and HCO₃⁻ → CO₂.
- Le Chatelier: pink and blue cobaltShift the equilibrium [Co(H₂O)₆]²⁺ (pink) + 4Cl⁻ ⇌ [CoCl₄]²⁻ (blue) + 6H₂O by changing concentration and temperature.
- Common ion effectShow that adding a salt with a common ion suppresses the ionisation of a weak acid or base.
- Le Chatelier with Fe³⁺ and SCN⁻Shift the Fe³⁺ + SCN⁻ ⇌ [Fe(SCN)]²⁺ equilibrium by adding reactants and by heating.
- Solubility product: “golden rain” of PbI₂Precipitate PbI₂ when the ionic product exceeds Ksp, dissolve it by heating and recrystallise it as golden plates.
- Precipitation titration: Mohr's method for chlorideFind the concentration of chloride by titrating with silver nitrate using potassium chromate as indicator.
- Hydrolysis of saltsShow that solutions of some salts are acidic or basic because of hydrolysis.
- pH with universal indicatorEstimate the pH of strong and weak acids and bases with universal indicator and pH paper.
- Titration of acetic acid with NaOHTitrate 0.1 M acetic acid with 0.1 M NaOH using phenolphthalein and see why the end point is basic.
Unit 7: Redox Reactions
- Galvanic cell: Mg | Mg²⁺ || Cu²⁺ | CuBuild a magnesium–copper cell and compare its emf with the Daniell cell.
- Galvanic cell: Zn | Zn²⁺ || Ag⁺ | AgMeasure the emf of a zinc–silver cell and apply the Nernst equation.
- Copper with concentrated nitric acidObserve nitric acid acting as an oxidising acid with copper.
- Dichromate oxidises iron(II)See orange dichromate turn green as it oxidises Fe²⁺, and prove Fe³⁺ was formed.
- Iodometric titration of copper(II)Liberate iodine from KI with Cu²⁺ and titrate it with sodium thiosulphate using starch.
- Iron nail in copper sulphate (free)Observe iron displacing copper from copper sulphate solution.
- Redox titration: KMnO₄ vs Mohr's saltDetermine the volume of 0.01 M KMnO₄ needed to oxidise Fe²⁺ in 20 mL of 0.05 M Mohr's salt.
- Redox titration: KMnO₄ vs oxalic acidTitrate warm acidified oxalic acid with KMnO₄ and find its concentration.
- Permanganate with oxalic acidSee how temperature and autocatalysis control the MnO₄⁻ / oxalic acid reaction.
- Activity series: metals with dilute acidCompare how fast Mg, Zn, Fe and Cu react with 1 M hydrochloric acid.
- Copper displaces silver: the silver treeWatch copper reduce silver ions, forming silver crystals and blue Cu²⁺ ions.
- Zinc displaces copper (free)Watch zinc reduce Cu²⁺ ions and follow the colour of the solution.
Unit 8: Organic Chemistry – Basic Principles and Techniques
- Purification by crystallisation: copper sulphateDissolve copper sulphate, concentrate the solution by heating and obtain crystals on cooling.
- Simple distillation of a coloured solutionObtain pure water from copper sulphate solution by simple distillation.
- Solubility and temperature: potassium nitrateShow that KNO₃ is much more soluble in hot water, and recover it by cooling.
- Lassaigne's test for halogensDetect chlorine in an organic compound from its sodium fusion extract.
- Lassaigne's test for nitrogenDetect nitrogen in an organic compound through Prussian blue formation in the sodium fusion extract.
- Lassaigne's test for sulphurDetect sulphur in the sodium fusion extract with sodium nitroprusside and lead acetate.
- Paper chromatography of inkSeparate the coloured dyes in black ink and calculate their Rf values.
- Purification by sublimation: iodine and NH₄ClSeparate a sublimable solid from a non-volatile impurity by heating.
Unit 9: Hydrocarbons
- Baeyer's test for unsaturationUse cold, dilute alkaline KMnO₄ to detect a C=C double bond.
- Bromine water with an alkeneDetect unsaturation by decolourising bromine water.
- Saturated vs unsaturated: hexane and vegetable oilUse bromine water and Baeyer’s reagent to tell a saturated hydrocarbon from an unsaturated oil.
Unit 10: Preparation and Tests of Gases (Lab Manual)
- Ammonia from an ammonium saltLiberate ammonia from ammonium chloride with alkali and identify it.
- Carbon dioxide and lime water (free)Prepare CO₂ from marble and acid, pass it into lime water and explain the milkiness and its disappearance.
- Preparing and testing hydrogen (free)Prepare hydrogen from zinc and dilute acid and identify it with a burning splint.
- Preparing and testing oxygenPrepare oxygen by catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and test it with a glowing splint.
Unit 11: NEET / JEE Practice Labs (Class XI)
- Ammonia–ammonium chloride: a basic bufferCompare how a NH₃/NH₄Cl mixture and plain water respond to a little HCl and a little NaOH.
- Same moles, same CO₂: marble, NaHCO₃ and Na₂CO₃ with HClTreat 5 mmol each of CaCO₃ (0.5 g), NaHCO₃ (0.42 g) and Na₂CO₃ (10 mL of 0.5 M) with excess HCl and show that all give the same amount of CO₂ (5 mmol).
- Common ion effect on ammonia: NH₄Cl suppresses its ionisationShow that adding NH₄Cl to ammonia solution lowers its pH from about 11.8 to about 9.6, while the same amount of water only dilutes it slightly.
- Diluting a strong and a weak acid ten-foldDilute 5 mL of 0.1 M HCl and 5 mL of 0.1 M acetic acid to 50 mL and compare the change in pH.
- Heat of displacement: Mg, Zn and Fe in copper sulphateAdd magnesium, zinc and iron to separate beakers of 1 M CuSO₄ and rank the metals by the heat they release.
- Why do some salts cool the water? Urea, KNO₃ and NaClDissolve 5 g each of urea, KNO₃ and NaCl in 50 mL of water and measure the temperature fall; calculate ΔsolH for each.
- Freezing mixtures: ice vs ice–saltCool three tubes of water: in air, in an ice bath and in an ice–salt bath, and see why only the ice–salt mixture goes below 0 °C.
- Gravimetric estimation of barium as BaCrO₄Precipitate the barium in 10 mL of 0.1 M BaCl₂ as BaCrO₄ and calculate the mass of Ba²⁺.
- Gravimetric estimation of calcium as CaC₂O₄Precipitate the calcium in 10 mL of 0.1 M CaCl₂ as calcium oxalate and calculate the mass of Ca²⁺.
- Gravimetric estimation of chloride as AgClPrecipitate the chloride in 10 mL of 0.1 M NaCl as AgCl and calculate the mass of chloride from the mass of precipitate.
- Gravimetric estimation of lead as PbI₂Precipitate the lead in 10 mL of 0.1 M Pb(NO₃)₂ as yellow PbI₂ and calculate the mass of lead.
- Group 2 hydroxides and carbonates: the solubility trendsCompare how NaOH and Na₂CO₃ precipitate Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺ and Ba²⁺.
- Solubility of group 2 sulphatesAdd sodium sulphate to Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺ and Ba²⁺ solutions and see that sulphate solubility falls steadily down the group.
- Volume strength of hydrogen peroxideDecompose 5 mL each of 3 % and 30 % H₂O₂ with MnO₂ and calculate the volume of O₂ at STP per mL — the “volume strength”.
- pKa of acetic acid from the half-neutralisation pointAdd exactly half the NaOH needed to neutralise 20 mL of 0.1 M acetic acid and read the pH — it equals pKa.
- pKb of ammonia from the half-neutralisation pointNeutralise half of the ammonia in the flask with HCl and use the pH to find pKb.
- Chlorine water displaces bromine and iodineShow that chlorine is a stronger oxidising agent than bromine and iodine by adding chlorine water to bromide, iodide and chloride solutions.
- Equal masses, different moles: hydrogen from Mg and ZnAdd 0.24 g of Mg and 0.24 g of Zn to excess HCl and show that magnesium gives about 2.7 times more hydrogen.
- Methyl orange for a strong acid–strong base titrationTitrate 20 mL of 0.1 M HCl with 0.1 M NaOH using methyl orange and show it gives the same titre as phenolphthalein.
- Why methyl orange fails for acetic acid with NaOHTitrate 20 mL of 0.1 M CH₃COOH with 0.1 M NaOH and watch methyl orange change colour far too early, while phenolphthalein marks the true end point at 20 mL.
- Why phenolphthalein fails for ammonia with HClTitrate the ammonia in 25 mL of dilute NH₃ (10 mmol) with 1 M HCl: phenolphthalein loses its colour early; methyl orange changes at the true end point (10 mL).
- Equivalent mass of magnesium by H₂ displacementDetermine the equivalent mass of magnesium from the volume of hydrogen it displaces from dilute acid.
- Gravimetric estimation of sulphate as BaSO₄Precipitate the sulphate in 10 mL of 0.1 M Na₂SO₄ as BaSO₄ and use the mass of precipitate to get the amount of sulphate.
- Purity of marble: back titration with NaOHFind the mass of CaCO₃ in a marble sample by dissolving it in a known excess of HCl and titrating the leftover acid with NaOH.
- Limiting reagent in a gas-forming reaction: marble and HClAdd 0.5 g of marble (5 mmol CaCO₃) to 5, 10 and 20 mL of 1 M HCl and show how much CO₂ each produces.
- Limiting reagent in a precipitation: BaCl₂ and Na₂SO₄React three different mixtures of BaCl₂ and Na₂SO₄ and show that the mass of BaSO₄ is fixed by the limiting reagent, while the excess ion stays in solution.
- Strong vs weak acid: pH and rate with magnesium (free)Show that 0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M acetic acid have the same concentration but very different strengths, using pH and the rate at which magnesium releases H₂.
- Enthalpy of neutralisation: HNO₃ with NaOHNeutralise 25 mL of 2 M HNO₃ with 25 mL of 2 M NaOH and calculate ΔH per mole of water formed.
- Enthalpy of neutralisation of a dibasic acid: H₂SO₄Neutralise 25 mL of 1 M H₂SO₄ (50 mmol H⁺) with 50 mL of 1 M NaOH and show that ΔH per mole of water is the same as for HCl.
- Enthalpy of neutralisation: HCl with a weak base (NH₃)Neutralise 50 mL of 1 M HCl with 25 mL of 2 M ammonia and show that ΔH is less negative than for NaOH.
- Ostwald’s dilution law: pH and degree of ionisation of acetic acidMeasure the pH of 1 M, 0.1 M and 0.01 M acetic acid and show that the degree of ionisation α grows on dilution.
- pH of mixtures of a strong acid and a strong baseMix 5 mL of 0.1 M HCl with 2.5, 5 and 7.5 mL of 0.1 M NaOH and compare the measured pH with the calculation.
- Thermometric titration: HCl and NaOH, the temperature peaks at the end pointAdd 1 M NaOH in portions to 50 mL of 1 M HCl and watch the temperature rise to a maximum at 50 mL, then fall.
- Titrating a dibasic acid: H₂SO₄ with NaOHFind the volume of 0.1 M NaOH needed to neutralise 20 mL of 0.1 M H₂SO₄ and see why it is twice the volume needed for HCl.
- Find the molarity of an “unknown” HCl solutionThe flask contains 20 mL of HCl of unknown concentration. Titrate it with standard 0.1 M NaOH and calculate its molarity.
- Find the molarity of an “unknown” NaOH solutionThe flask contains 20 mL of NaOH of unknown strength. Titrate it with standard 0.1 M HCl and calculate its molarity.
- Find the molarity of an “unknown” H₂SO₄ solutionThe flask contains 20 mL of H₂SO₄ of unknown concentration. Titrate with 0.1 M NaOH and use the n-factor to calculate its molarity.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do the Class 11 Chemistry practicals online?
Yes. PractiSci has 87 interactive 3D chemistry experiments for Class 11. You change the values, watch the result in real time and read the numbers off live graphs, on a phone or a laptop, with nothing to install.
Are these the experiments in the NCERT Chemistry practical syllabus?
The labs follow the NCERT Class 11 Chemistry chapters and practicals, and add NEET and JEE level experiments. Your school or board may set its own list, so check it with your teacher and use this page to find the matching experiment.
Do the labs have viva questions?
Each lab has its aim, theory, procedure and observations next to the experiment, so you can revise while you work.
Is it free?
A number of labs in every subject are free forever and need no card (8 of these 87 chemistry labs are free). The NEET-level and advanced labs are part of a PractiSci plan.
Can I use it in Hindi?
Yes. Switch between English and हिन्दी from the header at any time.
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