pH Salts

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Topics > Acids & Bases > pH Salts

How Salts Affect pH

Hydrolysis: The process where ions from salt react with water, affecting the solution's pH.
Cation and Anion Role: Depending on their nature, cations and anions can either increase or decrease the concentration of H⁺ or OH⁻ ions in a solution.

Types of Salts and Their pH

Salts from Strong Acid and Strong Base:

- Typically neutral (pH = 7) as they do not affect the H⁺ or OH⁻ concentration significantly.
- Example: NaCl, formed from HCl (strong acid) and NaOH (strong base).

Salts from Strong Acid and Weak Base:

- Generally acidic (pH < 7) because the cation reacts with water to produce H⁺ ions.
- Example: NH₄Cl, formed from HCl (strong acid) and NH₃ (weak base).

Salts from Weak Acid and Strong Base:

- Typically basic (pH > 7) since the anion reacts with water to produce OH⁻ ions.
- Example: CH₃COONa, formed from CH₃COOH (weak acid) and NaOH (strong base).

Salts from Weak Acid and Weak Base:

- The pH depends on the relative strengths of the acid and base.
- Example: NH₄CN, formed from HCN (weak acid) and NH₃ (weak base).

Factors Affecting the pH of Salt Solutions

Relative Strength of Parent Acid and Base: Determines whether the solution will be acidic, basic, or neutral.
Concentration of the Solution: Higher concentrations can amplify the acidic or basic nature of the salt.
Temperature: Can affect the degree of hydrolysis and thus the pH.

None to list

Examples and Practice Problems

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