Identifying Basic Solutions Without OH: Examining Salts

[Jules18]

How do you know when something forms a basic solution when dissolved in water if it doesn't have an OH?
This is the question I'm looking at:

Which of the following salts forms a basic solution when dissolved in water?

(A) NaCl
(B) (NH4)2SO4
(C) CuSO4
(D) K2CO3
(E) NH4NO3


Thanks ahead of time.

 

[Borek]

Hydrolysis and Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases are things you are looking for.

 

[Blueshift5]

I would first like to clarify that the term "basic solution" refers to a solution with a pH greater than 7, indicating a higher concentration of hydroxide ions (OH-) compared to hydrogen ions (H+). This means that the solution is more alkaline in nature.

When it comes to identifying basic solutions without OH, we can look at the cation and anion present in a salt and their respective acid-base properties. Cations and anions can either be acidic, basic, or neutral in nature.

For example, in the case of NaCl, both the sodium ion (Na+) and chloride ion (Cl-) are neutral, meaning they do not have any acidic or basic properties. Therefore, when dissolved in water, NaCl will not produce any OH- ions and will not form a basic solution.

On the other hand, in the case of (NH4)2SO4, the ammonium ion (NH4+) is acidic while the sulfate ion (SO42-) is neutral. This means that when dissolved in water, (NH4)2SO4 will produce H+ ions, making the solution acidic. Similarly, CuSO4 will also produce acidic H+ ions, making it an acidic solution.

K2CO3, on the other hand, contains the carbonate ion (CO32-), which is a weak base. When dissolved in water, it will produce OH- ions, making the solution basic.

Lastly, NH4NO3 contains both the ammonium ion (NH4+) and nitrate ion (NO3-), both of which are neutral. Therefore, it will not produce any OH- ions and will not form a basic solution.

In summary, to identify basic solutions without OH, we need to look at the acid-base properties of the cation and anion present in a salt. If either one is a weak base, it will produce OH- ions in water and result in a basic solution. In the given options, only K2CO3 forms a basic solution when dissolved in water.