NaF acid or base
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NaF acid or base
For one of the UA worksheets, it asked whether NaF in water would become more acidic or more basic. I was confused on how I'd be able to determine this since NaF has no H atoms.
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Re: NaF acid or base
NaF is a salt and you can determine the acidity or basicity of a salt based on their associated acids and bases. In this case, the Na+ ion of this salt is derived from the base NaOH, which is a strong base, while the F- ion is derived from the acid HF, which is considered a weak acid. Because one of the ions is derived from a strong base while the other is derived from a weak acid, the salt itself will be basic.
Hope that makes sense and is helpful to you!
Hope that makes sense and is helpful to you!
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Re: NaF acid or base
Hey Rachel,
For questions regarding the acidity or basicity of salt species, the questions usually refer to how the salt will affect the pH of water when placed in solution. Assuming complete dissolution, NaF will form Na+ and F- ions in water. Because Na+ is from a strong base (NaOH), there is no tendency for the cation to reassociate with a hydroxide. However, given that F- may be derived from a very weak acid (HF), F- will reassociate with protons, such that there is a net loss of H+ in the solution. With a decreased [H+], the pH will increase as the solution becomes more basic. As such NaF is a basic salt. This logic applies to most salts, but needs additional clarifications with the ions can further deprotonate (eg. HSO4-) or if neither ion is derived from a strong acid or base.
I hope this helps!
For questions regarding the acidity or basicity of salt species, the questions usually refer to how the salt will affect the pH of water when placed in solution. Assuming complete dissolution, NaF will form Na+ and F- ions in water. Because Na+ is from a strong base (NaOH), there is no tendency for the cation to reassociate with a hydroxide. However, given that F- may be derived from a very weak acid (HF), F- will reassociate with protons, such that there is a net loss of H+ in the solution. With a decreased [H+], the pH will increase as the solution becomes more basic. As such NaF is a basic salt. This logic applies to most salts, but needs additional clarifications with the ions can further deprotonate (eg. HSO4-) or if neither ion is derived from a strong acid or base.
I hope this helps!
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Re: NaF acid or base
NaF is a salt that is produced by the neutralization of a base by an acid. To find whether a salt produces an acidic or basic solution, you have to consider the relative acidity or basicity of its ions, which in this case are the Na+ cation and F- anion. Since Na+ is a cation of Group 1 and 2 elements, it will have little effect on the pH. F- anion is the conjugate base of a weak acid (HF), so it will produce a basic solution. Therefore, the solution of NaF salt will be basic. Hope this helps!
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Re: NaF acid or base
NaF is a salt, and it will lead to a basic solution. This is because when NaF is put in water, it will separate into Na+ and F-. Na+ is not going to interact, but F- will. F- is going to take a H+ from H2O, and that will lead to OH- being left in the solution. Hence the solution would become basic.
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