Question

Ingredients used in kitchens always amazes us through their magic. One of them is baking powder which has a compound X as its major constituent. The compound X sometimes also helps in getting relief from acid indigestion or even in ant bite. In the laboratory, when we heat compound X, it gets converted into Y which is anhydrous but absorbs water to become a hydrated salt Z, one of the raw materials of soaps and detergents.

(iv) Compound X is a basic compound because it is a salt of a ______________.

• A. strong acid and strong base
• B. weak acid and weak base
• C. strong acid and weak base
• D. weak acid and strong base

Answer 1

The correct option is D weak acid and strong base

The nature of the salt obtained from neutralisation reaction depends upon the strength of the acid and the base.

Case 1: A strong base is required to react with strong acid in order to obtain a neutral salt, whose pH value will be equal to 7.
Case 2: A strong acid is required to react with weak base in order to obtain an acidic salt whose pH value will be less than 7.
Case 3: A weak acid is required to react with strong base in order to obtain a basic salt whose pH value will be greater than 7.

Compound X i.e. baking soda $\left(NaHC{O}_3\right)$, which is an example of basic salt obtained from the neutralisation reaction of sodium hydroxide (strong base) and carbonic acid (weak acid).