Introduction

•  A salt is an ionic compound results when the hydrogen ion in an acid is replaced by a metallic or ammonium ion (NH⁺) from a base.

•  A salt is formed when strong ionic bonds held a cation from base and anion from acid together as below:

                          electrostatic attraction                                                                                                                          ionic bond   

     Sodium ion,Na+ from                      Chloride ion,Cl^- from                                                                                       Sodium chloride, NaCl

sodium hydroxide, NaOH                   hydrocloric acid,HCl                                                                                        (A salt=ionic compound)

     (cation from base)                          (anion from acid)                     

•  Salts also produced from neutralization or titration reaction between acids and alkalis/bases:

                                         ACID    +    ALKALI/BASE         neutralization           SALT    +    WATER

• In the case of acids that containing more than one hydrogen ion, H⁺ like diprotic (contain two H⁺⁾ and tripotic (contain three H⁺)   acids, more than one type of salt is produced.

• For example: H₂SO₄ (diprotic acid)                  NaHSO₄ and Na₂SO₄ (salts)

                                    H₃PO₄ (tripotic acid)                   NaH₂PO_4, Na₂HPO₄ and Na₃PO₄ (salts)

• Thousands of salts exist naturally in earth.

• For example salts like sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, and sodium bromide exist in sea   water.

• While salts like calsium fluoride, magnesium sulfate, and lead (II) sulfide exist as mineral in earth crust.

• Salts that not exist naturally can be made and produced through chemical method in chemical industry.