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Determine whether each of the following salts will form a solution that is acidic, basic, or pH-neutral.

a. KCl
b. NaClO

User Foxhunt
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Answer:

a. Neutral

b. Basic

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which of the salts are acidic, neutral or basci we should dissociate them and determine if the ions, can make hydrolysis to water.

KCl → K⁺ + Cl⁻

We need to know, where do the ions come from. In this case, K⁺ comes from the KOH which is a strong base and Cl⁻ comes from the HCl, a strong acid. In conclussion, both are the conjugate weak acid and base, respectively. They do not make hydrolysis, so this salt is neutral. No protons or hydroxides are given.

NaClO → Na⁺ + ClO⁻

The Na⁺ comes from the NaOH, it is the conjugate weak acid from a strong base, while the ClO⁻ comes from the HClO, a weak acid. This means that the ClO⁻ can react to water, to make hydrolysis. The equilibrium will be:

ClO⁻ + H₂O ⇄ HClO + OH⁻

We are giving hydroxides to medium, so the salt is basic.

User Vidar
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