Question

What are five types of salts? Explain with examples.

Answer 1

The salts are classified in the following ways:–

(1) Normal Salts

The salts which are obtained by complete replacement of the ionizable hydrogen ions or hydroxyl ion by a metallic ion of the base are called normal salts.

Example: Hydrochloric acid$\left(HCl\right)$ reacts with Sodium hydroxide$\left(NaOH\right)$ to form sodium chloride$\left(NaCl\right)$ and water$\left(H_{2}O\right)$.

$HCl\left(aq\right)+NaOH\left(aq\right)\to NaCl\left(s\right)+H_{2}O\left(l\right)$

(2) Acidic Salts

The salts which are obtained by the partial replacement of ionizable hydrogen atoms of a polybasic acid by a metal ion of the base are called acidic salts.

Example: Sulphuric acid$\left(H_{2}S{O}_4\right)$ reacts with Sodium hydroxide$\left(NaOH\right)$ to form Sodium hydrogen sulphate$\left(NaHS{O}_4\right)$ and water.

$H_{2}S{O}_4\left(aq\right)+NaOH\left(aq\right)\to NaHS{O}_4\left(s\right)+H_{2}O\left(l\right)$

(3) Basic Salt

The salt which is formed by partial replacement of hydroxyl $(–OH)$ groups of a poly acidic base by an acid radical is called basic salts.

Example: Lead hydroxide$\left(Pb\right(OH{)}_2)$ reacts with hydrochloric acid$\left(HCl\right)$ to Lead oxychloride and water.

$Pb\left(OH{)}_2\right(aq)+HCl(aq)\to Pb(OH\left)Cl\right(s)+H_{2}O(l)$

Lead hydroxide Lead oxychloride

(4) Double salt

The salt which is obtained by the crystallization of two simple salts or from a mixture of their saturated salt solutions is known as double salts.

Example: Potash alum

$K_{2}S{O}_4+A{l}_2(S{O}_4{)}_3+24H_{2}O\to K_{2}S{O}_4.A{l}_2(S{O}_4{)}_3.24H_{2}O$

Potash alum (Double salt)

(5) Mixed Salt

The salts containing more than one cation or anion other than $H^{+}$ or $O{H}^{–}$ ions are called mixed salts.

Example: Bleaching powder($CaOC{l}_2$) contains two anions $C{l}^{-}$ and $OC{l}^{-}$)