MCQ Detailed View

Salts are ionic compounds formed by the reaction of an acid and a base. When a salt is dissolved in water, it may produce a solution that is acidic, basic, or neutral depending on the nature of its ions. A salt that gives an aqueous solution with pH less than 7 is classified as an acidic salt.

Acidic salts are generally produced when a strong acid reacts with a weak base. The resulting salt undergoes hydrolysis in water, releasing hydrogen ions (H⁺) or protons, which lower the pH of the solution below 7. For example, ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) is formed from hydrochloric acid (HCl, a strong acid) and ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH, a weak base). When dissolved in water, it releases NH₄⁺ ions that react with water to produce H⁺ ions, making the solution acidic.

Basic salts, on the other hand, are formed when a strong base reacts with a weak acid. These salts hydrolyze to produce hydroxide ions (OH⁻) and give a pH greater than 7. Neutral salts are formed when a strong acid reacts with a strong base, producing a salt that does not hydrolyze and has a pH of 7, such as sodium chloride (NaCl).

Amphoteric salts can act as both acids and bases depending on the conditions, but they do not consistently give a solution with pH less than 7.

The pH of a solution is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration. A pH below 7 indicates that the solution is acidic. Salts derived from weak bases and strong acids increase the hydrogen ion concentration in water due to hydrolysis, making them acidic salts. This property is used in analytical chemistry to classify and test salts based on their pH behavior.