Salts
The common salt (NaCl) that we use in our day to day life is a salt. The Jeewani
solution given during ailing condtions such as diarrhoea and the saline solution
given to patients are mixtures containing salts.
Acids react with bases to form salts.
Ex ( Hydrochloric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide forming sodium
chloride.
Hydrochloric acid reacts with potassium hydroxide to form potassium
chloride.
Nitric acid upon reacting with magnesium hydroxide gives magnesium
nitrate.
Depending on the strength of the acid or the base reacting, the salt shows acidic,
basic or neutral properties.Ex ( The salts formed by the reaction between a strong acid and a strong base show
neutral properties.
Sodium hydroxide is a strong base. Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid. Sodium
chloride formed by the reaction between them is a neutral salt.
Salts are crystalline, solid compounds. Most of the salts dissolve in water. Generally
salts have high melting points and boiling points.
Uses of some salts
Sodium chloride
- Used to flavour food during their preparation
- Used as a food preservative
- Used to produce chemicals such as chlorine, and hydrochloric acid, to produce sodium hydroxide to produce sodium carbonate by solvay process, to glaze earthenware to, make soap and also used in tanning
Copper sulphate
- Used as a fungicide in agriculture
- Used in making chemical reagents (Benedict solution and Fehling solution)
- Used in electroplating
- Used in paint industry
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