Salt
A compound made when the hydrogen of an acid is replaced by a metal. The name comes from the metal and the acid used.
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Analogy
A salt is the leftover partner when the acid and alkali swap.
Example
HCl + zinc -> zinc chlorideH2SO4 + copper oxide -> copper sulfateHNO3 + sodium hydroxide -> sodium nitrate
In practice
Hydrochloric acid makes chlorides, sulfuric acid makes sulfates and nitric acid makes nitrates.
Practice
Flashcards
- What is made in a neutralisation reaction?A salt and water.
Interview questions
- Describe how you would make a pure, dry sample of copper sulfate crystals from copper oxide and sulfuric acid.
- Warm the acid and add copper oxide until no more dissolves
- Filter off the extra copper oxide
- Heat the filtrate to evaporate some water
- Leave to crystallise, then dry the crystals
Questions people ask
What are the other ways to make a salt?
Acids react with metals, metal oxides, hydroxides and carbonates to give a salt. Use metals for reactive metals like zinc, and oxides or carbonates for others like copper. An insoluble salt can also be made by mixing two solutions, which makes a solid called a precipitate.
Is table salt the only salt?
No. In chemistry, a salt is any compound made when an acid's hydrogen is replaced by a metal. Table salt, sodium chloride, is one of many. Others include copper sulfate, calcium carbonate and potassium nitrate, which is used in fertilisers.