Acids and Bases
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Re: Acids and Bases
You should be able to tell whether a salt is acidic or basic by determining where ions come from. Ions that come from strong acids/bases will be so weak as conjugate bases/acids that they won't have an effect on the pH. Ions that come from weak acids/bases will have stronger conjugate bases/acids, and will have an effect on the pH. For example, a strong acid and strong base neutralizing will produce a neutral salt, and a strong acid and weak base reacting will produce an acidic salt (weak conjugate base, stronger conjugate acid).
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Re: Acids and Bases
A salt acts as an acid when its conjugate acid is strong (basically, the salt will have a component to it that forms a weak base, like NH3)
--> NH4Br for example acts as an acid because the NH4+ donates an H+ to water, forming H3O+
A salt acts as a base when its conjugate base is strong (so, the salt has a weak acid forming component to it, like CN-)
--> NaCN for example acts as a base because the CN takes H+ from water, leaving more OH- in the solution
Salts with ions that form strong acids and bases in water are neutral because their opposing actions will even the solution out.
--> NH4Br for example acts as an acid because the NH4+ donates an H+ to water, forming H3O+
A salt acts as a base when its conjugate base is strong (so, the salt has a weak acid forming component to it, like CN-)
--> NaCN for example acts as a base because the CN takes H+ from water, leaving more OH- in the solution
Salts with ions that form strong acids and bases in water are neutral because their opposing actions will even the solution out.
Re: Acids and Bases
if the salt has a conjugate acid of a weak base, then the salt is acidic. if it has a conjugate base of weak acid, then the salt is basic. if it has both or neither, than salt is neutral
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