Identify the following aqueous salt solutions as acidic, neutral or basic solution

Identify the following aqueous salt solutions as acidic, neutral or basic solution.

NH4ClO4
LiNO3
LiF
KCN
SrBr2
NH4Br

The Correct Answer and Explanation is :

Here are the aqueous salt solutions and their corresponding pH classifications (acidic, neutral, or basic) with explanations:

  1. NH4ClO4 (Ammonium perchlorate): Acidic
  • NH4ClO4 dissociates into NH4⁺ and ClO4⁻ ions in water. Ammonium (NH4⁺) is the conjugate acid of ammonia (NH3), and when it dissociates, it releases H⁺ ions, making the solution acidic. Perchlorate (ClO4⁻) is a very weak base, so it does not significantly affect the pH. Hence, the solution is acidic due to the presence of NH4⁺.
  1. LiNO3 (Lithium nitrate): Neutral
  • LiNO3 dissociates into Li⁺ and NO3⁻ ions in water. Li⁺ is a cation of a strong base (LiOH), and NO3⁻ is an anion of a strong acid (HNO3). Neither ion undergoes significant hydrolysis in water, so the solution remains neutral.
  1. LiF (Lithium fluoride): Basic
  • LiF dissociates into Li⁺ and F⁻ ions. Li⁺ is from a strong base (LiOH), so it does not affect the pH. F⁻, however, is the conjugate base of HF (hydrofluoric acid), which is a weak acid. Therefore, F⁻ reacts with water to produce OH⁻ ions, making the solution basic.
  1. KCN (Potassium cyanide): Basic
  • KCN dissociates into K⁺ and CN⁻ ions. K⁺ is a cation from a strong base (KOH), so it does not affect the pH. CN⁻ is the conjugate base of HCN (hydrocyanic acid), which is a weak acid. CN⁻ hydrolyzes in water to produce OH⁻ ions, making the solution basic.
  1. SrBr2 (Strontium bromide): Neutral
  • SrBr2 dissociates into Sr²⁺ and Br⁻ ions. Both Sr²⁺ and Br⁻ come from a strong base (Sr(OH)2) and a strong acid (HBr), respectively. Neither ion significantly affects the pH, so the solution is neutral.
  1. NH4Br (Ammonium bromide): Acidic
  • NH4Br dissociates into NH4⁺ and Br⁻ ions. NH4⁺ is the conjugate acid of ammonia (NH3), and when it dissociates, it releases H⁺ ions, making the solution acidic. Bromide (Br⁻) is the conjugate base of a strong acid (HBr) and does not significantly affect the pH. Hence, the solution is acidic.

In summary:

  • Acidic solutions: NH4ClO4, NH4Br
  • Neutral solution: LiNO3, SrBr2
  • Basic solutions: LiF, KCN

I will now generate an image summarizing the information.

Here is a chart summarizing the aqueous salt solutions and their pH classifications as acidic, neutral, or basic.

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