SALTS

A salt is a substance formed when a metal or ammonium ions replace some or all if the H+
in an acid.

Salts consist of two parts: a metal and a non-metal or radical.

Examples:

Metal Non-metal Metal Radical

There two types of salts:

1. Normal salts – These are formed when all the H+ ions are in an acid are replaced by a
metal or ammonium ion. There are no replaceable H+ ions left from the acid.

Example: H2SO4(aq) + 2NaOH(aq) Na2SO4(aq) + 2H2O(l)

(normal salt)

2. Acid salts – These are formed when only some of the H+ ions in an acid are replaced by a
metal or ammonium ion. There are replaceable H+ ions left from the acid. (NB. Dibasic
and tribasic acids form acid salts if they are partially neutralized.)

Example: H2SO4(aq) + 2NaOH(aq) NaHSO4(aq) + 2H2O(l)

(acid salt)

Water of Crystallization

Some salts contain water of crystallization. That is, they contain water withing their crystal
lattice. Salts containing water of crystallization are referred to as hydrated salts. Example,
hydrated copper (II) sulphate - CuSO4.5H2O

The water can be driven off by gentle heating to give anhydrous or dry salts.
Example: CuSO4.5H2O(s) CuSO4(s) + 5H2O(g)
(blue) (white)
The salt can be rehydrated by simple adding water.
Salts in Everyday Life
Solubility of Salts
TABLES SHOWING SOLUBILITY OF SALTS
 Methods used to Prepare Salts
When preparing any salt, the following must be taken into account:
• The solubility of the salt being prepared.
• The solubility of the reactants being used to prepare the salt.
• The hydration of the salt being prepared.

Preparation of Insoluble Salts

Precipitation
Precipitation - Precipitation is the formation of a solid in a solution during a chemical reaction .
The solid is known as a precipitate.

Insoluble salts can be prepared by reacting two solutions, one containing the cations of the salt
being prepared and the other containing the anions. This is known as ionic precipitation. In an
ionic precipitation reaction, the two soluble salts in solution react to form an insoluble salt and a
soluble salt. The general method for preparing an insoluble salt is given below:
• Choose two solutions, one containing the cations required to make the salt and the other
containing the anions.
• Mix the two solutions to form the insoluble salt as a precipitate.
• Filter the mixture and collect the precipitate as the residue.
• Wash the residue with distilled water and leave to dry.

NB: Solubility of salts – Bromides and iodides are SOLUBLE except silver and lead. Exceptions
Lead (II) bromide is soluble in hot water.
Preparation of Soluble Salts
There are three main ways of preparing soluble salts.
1. Direct combination
2. Reaction with an acid
3. Reaction with an acid and a soluble alkali (Titration)

1) Direct Combination

Salts composed of two simple ions such as metal chlorides can be prepared by reacting two
elements, a metal and a non-metal., directly with each other. The metal supplies the cations and
the non-metal supplies the anions.

2) Reaction with an Acid

Soluble salts can be prepared by the reaction between an acid and:

• A reactive metal
• An insoluble carbonate
• An insoluble base

In these reactions the final product will only be a pure solution of the required salt in water if the
reaction has reached completion and no acid remains. To ensure the reaction has reached
completion and the salt formed is pure, the following general method is used:
1. Choose the appropriate metal, insoluble carbonate or base to provide the cations and the
appropriate acid to supply anions.
2. Place the acid in a beaker and add the metal, carbonate or base until excess solid remains
and effervescence stops if a metal or carbonate is used. Heating may be required when
using an metal or base.
3. Dip a piece of blue litmus paper into the solution to ensure all the acid has reacted; the
litmus should remain blue.
4. Remove the excess unreacted solid by filtration.
5. Collect the filtrate and evaporate the water. If a hydrated salt is required, evaporate some
of the water and leave the concentrated solution to crystallize.
 3) Reaction between an acid and a soluble alkali (Titration)

Potassium, sodium and ammonium salts are prepared by reacting an acid with am aqueous alkali.
In this preparation method, the acid is added to the alkali and the reaction reaches completion
when the solution is jus neutral. The colour change of an indicator is used to dtermie the
neutralization point.
The technique used to determine the exact volume of acid needed to neutralize a fixed volume of
aqueous alkali is known as a titration. The general method for preparing a titration is given
below:
1. Measure a fixed volume of aqueous alkali using a pipette, run it into a conical flask and
add a few drops of indicator solution.
2. Place the acid in a burette and take an initial burette reading.
3. Add the acid to the alkali until the neutral point is reached.
4. Take a final burette reading and determine the volume of acid added.
5. Repeat the titration until you have three volumes of acid within 0.1 cm3 of each other.
Average these to determine the volume of acid needed.
6. Add this volume to a fixed volume of alkali without the indicator and evaporate the water
from the solution.