Salts are very important to us.
Table 1 Example of salts
Table 1 Example of salts
Salt
|
Use
|
Ammonium chloride
|
Torch batteries
|
Ammonium nitrate
|
Fertilisers
|
Calcium carbonate
|
Extraction of iron, making cement, making glass
|
Calcium chloride
|
Extraction of sodium, drying agent
|
Calcium sulphate
|
Making plaster boards and casts for injured limbs
|
Iron(II) sulphate
|
Iron tablets
|
Magnesium sulphate
|
Medicines
|
Potassium nitrate
|
Fertiliser, gunpowder
|
Silver bromide
|
Photography
|
Sodium carbonate
|
Making glass, washing powders, water softener
|
Sodium chloride
|
Making hydrochloric acid, food flavouring, hospital saline, making sodium carbonate
|
Sodium stearate
|
Soaps
|
Tin(II) flouride
|
Additive to toothpaste
|
 |
| Ammonium chloride in a battery |
 |
| Ammonium nitrate fertilisers |
 |
| Calcium carbonate |
 |
| Iron sulphate for making Iron supplement, also named as ferrous tablet |
 |
| Magnesium sulphate |
 |
| Silver bromide |
 |
| Sodium carbonate |
 |
| Sodium chloride |
| Sodium stearate |
Normal Salts
A Normal salt is formed when all the hydrogen ions(H+) of an acid, have been replaced by metal ions or by the ammonium ions(NH4+), All the salts listed in table 1 are normal salts.
Normal salts may be soluble or insoluble in cold water.
- all nitrates salts are soluble
- all common sodium, potassium and ammonium salts are soluble
- all chlorides salts all soluble except lead, silver and mercury
- all sulfates salts are soluble except lead, barium and calcium
Table 2 Normal Salts
Acid
|
Type of salt
|
Example
|
Carbonic acid H2CO3
|
Carbonates
|
Sodium carbonate Na2CO3
|
Sulfuric acid H2SO4
|
sulphates
|
Sodium
sulfate Na2SO4
|
Ethanoic acid CH3COOH
|
Ethanoates
|
Sodium ethanoate CH3COONa
|
Hydrochloric acid HCl
|
Chlorides
|
Potassium chloride KCl
|
Nitric acid HNO3
|
Nitrates
|
Potassium nitrate KNO3
|
Acid Salts
An acid salt is formed where not all of the hydrogen ions of an acid have been replaced by metal ions or the ammonium ions. For examples:
Acids such as sulfuric acid and carbonic acid which have two hydrogen ions per molecule, when only one of the hydrogen ions is replaced with a metal ion, the salts formed still contain hydrogen ions.
Table 3 Acid Salts
Acid
|
Type of acid salt
|
Example
|
Carbonic acid H2CO3
|
Hydrogencarbonate
|
Sodium hydrogencarbonate NaHCO3
|
Sulfuric acid HsSO4
|
Hydrogensulfate
|
Potassium hydrogensulfate KHSO4
|