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:
- 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⁺.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.