Q
Which of the following salts are acidic in nature?
ALP CBT-1, 17-Aug-18 S-1
2018
✓ Answer:
C
Ammonium Phosphate
Acidic salts are salts that form an acidic solution when dissolved in water. They are typically formed when a strong acid partially neutralizes a weak base. Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3) and Sodium Acetate (NaC2H3O2) are both salts of strong bases (NaOH and NaHCO3, respectively) and weak acids (H2CO3 and CH3COOH, respectively); since the base is strong, it completely reacts with the acid, and no acidic hydrogen atoms remain in the salt, so they are not acidic. Ammonium Phosphate (NH4PO4) can be formed by the partial neutralization of phosphoric acid (H3PO4), a weak acid, with ammonia (NH3), a weak base. Since the acid is weak, it doesn't fully react with the base, leaving some acidic hydrogen atoms (H+) in the salt, making ammonium phosphate acidic.
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