Final answer:
When ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) is dissolved in water, it forms an acidic solution due to the ammonium ion's ability to donate a proton to water, creating hydronium ions. Option d
Step-by-step explanation:
When ammonium chloride, NH₄Cl, is dissolved in water, it forms an acidic solution. This occurs because ammonium chloride is a salt that results from the neutralization of the strong acid hydrochloric acid (HCl) by the weak base ammonia (NH₃).
The chloride ion (Cl⁻) from NH₄Cl does not react with water as it is the conjugate base of the strong acid HCl. However, the ammonium ion (NH₄⁺) can donate a proton to water, acting as an acid, resulting in the formation of hydronium ions (H₃O⁺) and ammonia (NH₃(aq)). The net ionic equation for this process is NH₄⁺(aq) + H₂O(l) ⇒ H₃O⁺(aq) + NH₃(aq). Option d