CHAPTER 8 :

SALTS

A) What is salt
- The salt that are very familiar is called = table
salt
- Table salt that is consumed in daily food, in
chemistry
known as sodium chloride, NaCl
Apart from that, there are many other chemical substance
known with general name as salt

These chemicals used in various field such as :

i)
Medicinal
ii)
Agriculture
iii)
Food industry

Formation of salt
- Salt is an ionic compound
- Salt is formed from neutralisation
Example : Sodium chloride, NaCl
NaCl formed from the reaction between KOH
and HCl
( Cl- ) Anion from
acid

HCl + NaOH NaCl +

H2from
O
(Na ) Cation
+

base

Definition of salt :
Compound formed when hydrogen ion, H+ from
acid replaced by metal ion
Example 1 : When H+ ion in hydrochloric acid, HCl
replaced with Sodium ion, Na+
Metal ion

Na+

acid

HCl

salt

NaC
l

Example 2 : When H+ ion in Sulphuric acid, H2SO4

replaced with Potassium ion, K+
Metal ion

K+

acid

H2SO4

salt

K2SO4

Quick test:
Complete these chemical equation and
write the name for the salt formed.
KCl + H2O
1) HCl + KOH
Name of the salt Potassium
Chloride
:
2)

HNO3 + NaOH

NaNO3 + H2O

Name of the salt Sodium

:
Nitrate

Na2SO4 + H2O
3) H2SO4 + NaOH

Name of the salt Sodium

:
Sulphate

Solubility of salts in
-Salt is an ionic compound and can dissolve in
water :
salts are soluble in water.
Salts

Soluble

Nitrate salt

- All Nitrate salts

Carbonate
salts

-Sodium

Insoluble

carbonate, Na2CO3

-Potassium

carbonate, K2CO3

-Ammonium carbonate,
(NH4)2CO3
Chloride salts - All chloride salts

Sulphate
salts

- All sulphate salts

water but not all

except

except

- All other
carbonate
salts
-Silver chloride,
AgCl
-Lead (II) chloride,
PbCl2
-Lead (II)
sulphate,PbSO4
-Calcium

CaSO4

sulphate,

Preparation of salts
Soluble
salts
-Sodium salts
-Potassium salts
-Ammonium
salts
Acid + alkali salts +
H 2O

Other soluble salts

3 possible
reactions
1) Acid + metal oxide salt +
H 2O
2) Acid + metal salt +
Hydrogen
3) Acid + metal carbonate salt + H2O +
CO2

Preparation of salts
Insoluble
salts
Method called
Precipitation
reaction

-reaction between 2 solutions, where each solution

contain the
ion of the salt.

Solution
1
Cation ( +
)

Solution
2
Insoluble
salts

Anion
(-)

Preparation of insoluble
salts
Example : Calcium carbonate, CaCO3
Solution
1
Calcium
chloride,CaCl2

Solution
2

Sodium
carbonate,Na2CO3

Cation ( Ca2+ )

Anion ( CO32- )

CaCO
3

CaCl2 + Na2CO3 CaCO3 +

2NaCl

Quick
test:
Suggest two solution needed in preparation of
insoluble salt
Silver chloride, AgCl and write the chemical
equation.

Ag+
Solution
Silver Nitrate,
1
AgNO3
Cl Solution
Sodium chloride,
2
NaCl
Chemical
equation
AgNO3 (aq) + NaCl (aq) AgCl (s) + NaNO3
(aq)

Chemical & ionic equations

- Can be written for all reactions in preparation of salts

exampl
e Chemical equation :

AgNO3 (aq) + NaCl (aq) AgCl (s) + NaNO3

(aq)

- The equation above can be write again as ionic equation

Ag+ (aq) + NO3- (aq) + Na+ (aq) + Cl- (aq) AgCl (s) + Na+ (aq) + NO3(aq)

The ionic equation

:

Ag+ (aq) + Cl- (aq) AgCl

(s)

exercises
1) Write and balance the following chemical
equations

a) Sulphuric acid + Magnesium Magnesium sulphate +

hydrogen gas
b) Silver nitrate + potassium iodide silver iodide + potassium
nitrate
c) Nitric acid + Potassium hydroxide potassium nitrate +
water
d) hydrochloric acid + Calcium carbonate calcium chloride +
water
+ carbon dioxide

2) Write chemical and ionic equations for

following
substances.
a) Sulphuric acid, H SO and Barium hydroxide, Ba(OH)
2

b) Lead (II) nitrate, Pb(NO3)2 and Copper (II) sulphate, CuSO4

Numerical problems involving stoichiometric

reactions
A balance chemical equation of reaction for salts
preparation can be use to calculate the quantity :
a) Mass of
reactants
b) Volume & concentration of
reactants
c) Mass of
products
d) Volume of
products

Example
:

About 4.25 g of silver nitrate, AgNO3 reacts with zinc chloride,

ZnCl2 in the preparation of insoluble salts silver chloride, AgCl.
Calculate :
a) Mole of Zinc chloride required.
b) Mass of silver chloride formed in the
reaction
[ Relative atomic mass : Ag=108, N=14, O=16, Cl=35.5,
Zn=65 ]
solution
a) Mass of Zinc chloride, ZnCl2 required.

ZnCl2 + 2AgNO3 2AgCl +

Zn(NO
Number
of mole
3)2 for AgNO3 = mass /
RMM

= 4.25 / [ 108 + 14 + (16x3) ]

Number of mole for AgNO3 = 0.025

mol

ZnCl2 + 2AgNO3 2AgCl +

Zn(NO3)2

By comparing mole of AgNO3 and mole of ZnCl2 in

equations
equatio
2 mole of AgNO3 reacts with 1 mole of ZnCl2
n
(2:1)
proble
m

0.025 mole of AgNO3 reacts with ? mole of

ZnCl2

Number of mole for ZnCl2 = 0.025 / 2 = 0.0125

mol
Therefore, mass of ZnCl2 = mole x (RMM ZnCl2)
= 0.0125 x [ 65 +
(35.5x2) ]
= 1.7 g

b) Mass of silver chloride, AgCl formed in the

reaction
Number of mole for AgNO3 = 0.025
mol
By comparing mole of AgNO3 and mole of AgCl in
equations

ZnCl2 + 2AgNO3 2AgCl +

Zn(NO )
equatio 3 2
n

2 mole of AgNO3 reacts with 2 mole of AgCl (1:1)

proble
0.025 mole of AgNO3 reacts with ? mole of
m
ZnCl2
Number of mole for AgCl= 0.025 mol
Therefore, mass of AgCl = mole x (RMM AgCl)
= 0.025 x [ 108 + 35.5 ] = 3.59 g

Exercise
:
1)

2.0 g of NaOH reacts with excess Sulphuric acid, H 2SO4.

What is the mass of Na2SO4 produced?
[ RAM : H=1, O=16, Na=23, S=32]

2)

3)

Calculate the volume of carbon dioxide gas, CO2 evolved

at stp when 2.1 g of Magnesium carbonate, MgCO3 react
with excess Nitric acid, HNO3
[ RAM : C=12, O=16, Mg=24, 1 mol gas at stp = 22.4 dm3
]
Calculate the mass of Magnesium required to react with
20 cm3 of 2 mol/dm3 HCl acid to produce 120 cm3 H2 gas
at room temperature.
Mg + 2HCl MgCl2 + H2
[ RAM : Mg=24, 1 mol gas at room = 24 dm3 ]

4)

4.0 g of Magnesium oxide, MgO is added to 30 cm3 HCl

acid with molarity 2 mol/dm3. Calculate the mass of
Magnesium oxide that did not react with HCl
MgO + 2HCl MgCl2 + H2O
[ RAM : Mg=24, O=16 ]

5)

What is the volume of HCl acid with molarity 2 mol/dm 3

required to dissolve 10 g of marble, CaCO3 ?
CaCO3 + 2HCl CaCl2 + CO2 + H2O
[ RAM : H=1, O=16, C=12, Ca=40 ]

Qualitative Analysis Of
Salts
The meaning of Qualitative
Analysis
A scheme of test carried out to identify the Cation(+) and
Anion(-) in salt.

SALT
identification

CATION
(+)

identification

ANION
(-)

Technique in Qualitative
analysis
1) Observing colour of salt
2) Observing solubility
3) Observing effect of heating
4) Identifying gas evolved from salt
5) Identifying precipitate form when chemical
reagent added
6) Confirmatory test with specific reagent

1) Observing colour of
salt

- Most salt are white.

- Certain salt have specific colour according to

Cation in
the salt.

Colour

Ion exist in salt

White

Na+ , K+, Mg2+ , Ca2+, Ba2+,

Al3+
Pb2+, Zn2+, NH4+

Yellow

Fe3+, CrO42-

Blue
Green

Cu2+
Fe2+

2) Observing solubility
Salts

Soluble

Nitrate salt

- All Nitrate salts

Carbonate
salts

-Sodium

carbonate, Na2CO3

-Potassium

carbonate, K2CO3

-Ammonium carbonate,
(NH4)2CO3

Insoluble
- All other carbonate
salts

Chloride
salts

- All chloride salts

-Silver chloride,
AgCl
-Lead (II) chloride,
PbCl2

Sulphate
salts

- All sulphate salts

-Lead (II)
sulphate,PbSO4
-Calcium

sulphate,

CaSO4
-Barium sulphate,

3) Observing effect of

heating
- Certain gases may evolved when salt reacted

Gas

Colour and smell

Confirmation test

Oxygen, Colourless, no smell

O2

- Using glowing wooden

splinter
- Lighted up glowing
splinter

Hydroge Colourless, no smell

n H2

- Using lighted wooden

splinter
- A pop sound produced

Carbon
dioxide
CO2

Colourless, no smell

- Using lime water

- Lime water becomes
milky

Gas

Colour and smell

Confirmation test

Ammoni Colourless, Pungent

a,
smell
NH3

- Using glass rod dipped with

Chlorine Greenish yellow,

Cl2
Choking smell

- Using damp litmus paper

- Decolourises the litmus
paper

Sulphur Colourless, pungent

dioxide
SO2

- Using Potassium
dichromate(VI)

Nitrogen Brown, pungent

dioxide
NO2

- Blue litmus turn red

concentrated HCl
- White fumes produced

- Gas evolved from salt can be use to deduct the

type of ion
in salt
Gas
Ion
Oxygen, O2 and

Nitrate ion, NO3 -

Nitrogen dioxide,
NO2
Carbon dioxide
CO2

Carbonate ion, CO3 2-

Ammonia gas
NH3

Ammonium ion, NH4 +

Sulphur dioxide
SO2

Sulphate ion, SO4 2-

Confirmatory test for

Anions
Gas evolved and
turn limewater
to milky

CO3 2-

- 2 cm3 HCl acid

SO4

- 2 cm3 HCl acid

- 2 cm3 BaCl2 solution

white precipitate form

- 2 cm3 HNO3 acid

- 2 cm3 AgNO3 solution

white precipitate form

Cl

2-

NO3

- 2 cm3 H2SO4 acid

- 2 cm3 Fe2SO4 solution
- Concentrated H2SO4 acid added
slowly along wall of test tube

Brown ring formed

in the middle section
of test tube