What is salt that has a green colour?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the identification and characteristics of salts that exhibit a green color, focusing on both chemical and culinary contexts. Participants explore various ions and compounds that may contribute to this coloration, as well as the definitions of "salt" in different contexts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants mention specific green salts, such as ##\text{Fe}\text{SO}_4 \cdot 7\text{H}_2\text{O}## and ##\text{Cu}\text{CO}_3##.
  • There is a question about which ions are responsible for green coloration, with a focus on transition metals.
  • One participant raises the distinction between "salt" in the chemistry sense versus the culinary sense, noting that there are green salts available from places like Hawaii.
  • Concerns are expressed about the safety of using certain green salts in food, with a warning against using unspecified green salts for culinary purposes.
  • Nickel chloride is suggested as another example of a green salt.
  • Participants discuss the color changes of certain ions, such as ##Cu^{2+}## and ##Cr^{2+}##, depending on their chemical environment.
  • Most chromium salts are noted to be green.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the definition of "salt" or the specific examples of green salts, indicating multiple competing views and some confusion regarding terminology.

Contextual Notes

There is ambiguity regarding the term "salt," with participants discussing both chemical and culinary interpretations. Additionally, the discussion includes varying levels of certainty about the colors of different ions and their compounds.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals studying chemistry, particularly those focused on ionic compounds and their properties, as well as those curious about the culinary uses of salts.

Nicol76
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Please post this type of questions in the homework section, filling the template and showing your attempts at answering them.
TL;DR
green salt
What are salt that have green colour?
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org
For starters, ##\text{Fe}\text{SO}_4 \cdot 7\text{H}_2\text{O}## and ##\text{Cu}\text{CO}_3##.
 
What ions have green colour?
What is a salt?

Ion colours
Edit: but having looked carefully at this, I think they got ferrous and ferric mixed up!
Maybe try ion colours2
 
Last edited:
Are we sure we are talking about salt in the chemistry sense and not the cooking sense? There are green salts one can get from, I think, Hawaii.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Informative
Likes   Reactions: jim mcnamara, hmmm27 and etotheipi
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: symbolipoint
Thank you everyone for your help. Yes I meant salt in chemistry. Sorry Merlin, English is not my first language and I probably used the wrong word. My question is about ionic compounds.
 
Your screen name is apt, @Nicol76. The first one I thought of was nickel chloride.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Love
Likes   Reactions: symbolipoint, jim mcnamara, etotheipi and 1 other person
@Nicol76 No, you were correct.
I asked "what is a salt" to check you know it as an ionic compound and so you are looking for the ions with colour green.

Coloured ions are transition metals, because of their electronic structure.
##Fe^{2+}## and ##Ni^{2+} ## are predominantly green.

Other ions which are not generally green, are green in some compounds ##Cu^{2+} ## usually blue, is green in basic copper carbonate , and ##Cr^{2+} ## changes from its usual violet to green in chromium hydroxide.

That is because the energy levels are modified by surrounding ions such as hydroxide. This is shown nicely with copper sulphate, where the ##Cu^{2+}## ions are a pleasant pale blue in the hexahydrate crystals or in aqueous solution. There the ##Cu^{2+}## are surrounded by water molecules. If excess ammonia is added to the solution, the ##Cu^{2+}## become surrounded by ##NH_3## molecules and turn a glorious deep blue.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: symbolipoint
  • #10
just saw your reply. Thank you so much, this is really useful.
 
  • #11
Most chromium salts are green.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
3K
Replies
18
Views
7K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
6K
Replies
57
Views
12K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K