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An unknown salt is either \(\mathrm{KBr}, \mathrm{NH}_{4} \mathrm{Cl}, \mathrm{KCN},\) or \(\mathrm{K}_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3} .\) If a \(0.100 \mathrm{M}\) solution of the salt is neutral, what is the identity of the salt?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The unknown salt is KBr (potassium bromide), as it forms a neutral solution. This is because the K鈦 ion does not affect the pH, and the Br鈦 ion does not significantly change the pH either.

Step by step solution

01

List the possible salts and their ions

First, let's list the given salts and their respective ions: 1. KBr: K鈦 (potassium ion), Br鈦 (bromide ion) 2. NH鈧凜l: NH4鈦 (ammonium ion), Cl鈦 (chloride ion) 3. KCN: K鈦 (potassium ion), CN鈦 (cyanide ion) 4. K鈧侰O鈧: 2 K鈦 (potassium ions), CO鈧兟测伝 (carbonate ion)
02

Analyze the acidic or basic properties of the ions

Now we will analyze the acidic or basic properties of each ion: - K鈦: Since potassium belongs to Group 1 of the periodic table, it forms neutral solutions as cations of this group do not hydrolyze. - NH4鈦: The ammonium ion behaves as a weak acid, releasing a H鈦 ion in solution: \(\mathrm{NH_4^+} \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{NH_3} + \mathrm{H^+}\) - Br鈦, Cl鈦: Both bromide and chloride are conjugate bases of strong acids (HBr and HCl). Therefore, they are weak bases and will cause a negligible change to the pH of the solution. - CN鈦: The cyanide ion is the conjugate base of the weak acid, HCN. So, it behaves as a weak base by accepting a H鈦 ion from water: \(\mathrm{CN^-} + \mathrm{H_2O} \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{HCN} + \mathrm{OH^-}\) - CO鈧兟测伝: The carbonate ion is a weak base. It accepts a H鈦 ion from water, yielding bicarbonate: \(\mathrm{CO_3^{2-}} + \mathrm{H_2O} \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{HCO_3^-} + \mathrm{OH^-}\)
03

Determine which salt would produce a neutral solution

Based on our analysis in Step 2, let us examine each salt to see which one would produce a neutral solution: 1. KBr: K鈦 does not impact pH, and Br鈦 does not significantly change the pH. So, a KBr solution would be neutral. 2. NH鈧凜l: NH4鈦 acts as a weak acid and Cl鈦 does not significantly change the pH. This combination would result in a slightly acidic solution. 3. KCN: K鈦 does not affect the pH, but CN鈦 acts as a weak base. The solution of KCN would be slightly basic. 4. K鈧侰O鈧: K鈦 does not affect the pH, but CO鈧兟测伝 acts as a weak base. The solution of K鈧侰O鈧 would be slightly basic. Since we are looking for a salt that forms a neutral solution, the only suitable candidate is KBr (potassium bromide). So, the identity of the unknown salt is KBr.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

pH analysis
Understanding pH is crucial for distinguishing between acidic, basic, and neutral solutions. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, where 7 is neutral. Acidic solutions have a pH lower than 7, while basic solutions have a pH higher than 7.
A neutral solution indicates that the concentrations of hydrogen ions ( H鈦 ) and hydroxide ions ( OH鈦 ) are equal ( [ H鈦 ] = [ OH鈦 ] ). In pH analysis of salts, such as in this exercise, we must consider the potential of the salt's ions to alter the pH. This involves identifying whether the ions in the salt solution can participate in reactions that change hydrogen or hydroxide ion levels.
  • For strong acids and bases: their ions will not react, leaving the solution neutral.
  • For weak acids or bases: they can donate or accept hydrogen ions making the solution acidic or basic.
Recognizing the specific behavior of each ion helps in effectively predicting the neutrality of a solution.
acid-base properties
Acid-base properties of ions give insight into why certain salts affect the pH of a solution. These properties depend on whether the ions can donate or accept protons in an aqueous environment.
For example, a cation like NH鈧勨伜 (ammonium ion) acts as an acid. It can donate a proton to the solution, making it slightly acidic. Conversely, anions such as CN鈦 (cyanide ion) and CO鈧僞{2-} (carbonate ion) behave as bases. They accept protons from water and increase the concentration of hydroxide ions OH鈦, making the solution basic.
In the case of neutral ionic compounds:
  • Cations like K鈦 (potassium ion) and Na鈦 (sodium ion) generally do not affect pH because they do not undergo hydrolysis.
  • Similarly, anions like Br鈦 (bromide ion) and Cl鈦 (chloride ion) are very weak bases, causing negligible pH change.
This understanding is imperative for explaining why only certain salts can lead to neutral solutions while others make them acidic or basic.
ionic compounds
Ionic compounds are formed from the electrostatic attraction between cations and anions. They result in the formation of neutral compounds overall, even though individual ions may have an acid or base character.
An ionic compound like potassium bromide ( KBr ) is composed of a neutral cation (K鈦) and an anion (Br鈦) that does not significantly alter pH in solution. This makes the compound neutral in water.
Ionic compounds exhibit:
  • Strong ionic bonds, making them usually stable and quite solid at room temperature.
  • High melting and boiling points, attributed to the substantial energy required to break the ionic bonds.
  • Good solubility in water, enabling them to dissociate into individual ions and participate in acid-base reactions.
By understanding ionic compounds and the behavior of their ions, students can better predict and explain the outcomes of neutralization reactions and pH analysis.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Calculate the \(\mathrm{pH}\) of each of the following strong acid solutions: (a) \(0.0167 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HNO}_{3},\) (b) \(0.225 \mathrm{~g}\) of \(\mathrm{HClO}_{3}\) in \(2.00 \mathrm{~L}\) of solution, (c) \(15.00 \mathrm{~mL}\) of \(1.00 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HCl}\) diluted to \(0.500 \mathrm{~L}, (\mathrm{~d})\) a mixture formed by adding \(50.0 \mathrm{~mL}\) of \(0.020 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HCl}\) to \(125 \mathrm{~mL}\) of \(0.010 \mathrm{M} \mathrm{HI}\)

(a) The hydrogen oxalate ion \(\left(\mathrm{HC}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}^{-}\right)\) is amphiprotic. Write a balanced chemical equation showing how it acts as an acid toward water and another equation showing how it acts as a base toward water. (b) What is the conjugate acid of \(\mathrm{HC}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}\) ? What is its conjugate base?

Write the chemical equation and the \(K_{a}\) expression for the ionization of each of the following acids in aqueous solution. First show the reaction with \(\mathrm{H}^{+}(a q)\) as a product and then with the hydronium ion: (a) \(\mathrm{HBrO}_{2}\), (b) \(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{COOH}\).

Although pure \(\mathrm{NaOH}\) and \(\mathrm{NH}_{3}\) have very different properties, their aqueous solutions possess many common properties. List some general properties of these solutions, and explain their common behavior in terms of the species present.

(a) Given that \(K_{b}\) for ammonia is \(1.8 \times 10^{-5}\) and that for hydroxylamine is \(1.1 \times 10^{-8}\), which is the stronger base? (b) Which is the stronger acid, the ammonium ion or the hydroxylammonium ion? (c) Calculate \(K_{a}\) values for \(\mathrm{NH}_{4}^{+}\) and \(\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{NOH}^{+}\)

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