Salt

For other meanings of the word salt see salt (disambiguation)

In chemistry, a salt is a composed of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, so that the product is neutral and without a net charge.

They are typically the product of a chemical reaction between:

• a base and an acid, forming a salt, e.g. NH₃ + HCl --> NH_{4Cl ammonium chloride}

• a hydroxide and an acid, forming a salt + water, e.g. 2NaOH + H₂SO₄ --> Na₂SO₄ + 2H₂O sodium sulfate

• a metal and an acid, forming a salt + hydrogen, e.g. Mg + H₂SO₄ --> MgSO₄ + H₂ magnesium sulfate

• an acid forming oxide and a base forming oxide, forming a salt, e.g. CO₂ + CaO --> CaCO₃ calcium carbonate

In everyday life the word salt refers to table salt (sodium chloride).

However, many other salts are poisonous, so care must be taken to not confuse them with NaCl(table salt).

In general, salts are ionic compounds which form crystals. They are often soluble in water, where the two ions separate. Salts typically have a high melting point, low hardness, and low compressibility. If molten or dissolved in water, they conduct electricity.

Salts are named according to their constituent ions. The cationic components, often metal ions or ammonium, are given first, followed by the anionic components. Anions are often named according to the their conjugate acid:

• acetates are the salts of acetic acid
• carbonates are the salts of carbonic acid
• chlorides are the salts of hydrochloric acid
• cyanides are the salts of prussic acid also known as hydrocyanic acid also known as hydrogen cyanide
• nitrates are the salts of nitric acid
• nitrites are the salts of nitrous acid
• phosphates are the salts of phosphoric acid
• sulfates are the salts of sulfuric acid
• citrates are the salts of citric acid

History

Salt was such a valuable commodity in ancient times that soldiers often had their wages paid in salt, hence the term 'salary'.

See also

• .
• Borum
• Clorum
• Electrolyte
• Ionic bonds
• Natron
• Sodium

External link

• http://www.salt.org.il

ca:Sal da:Salt de:Salze eo:Salo es:sal fr:sel nl:zouten nds:Solt pl:Sól pt:sal sv:Salt simple:Salt

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