Why is no3 neutral

Nitric acid is a strong acid, which makes the NO3- a weak base that will not have a significant effect on the pH of its solution. Hence, the pH of a salt like NaNO3 will be 7 neutral.

On the other hand, an anion like acetate ion, which reacts with H to form the weak acetic acid, would be a relatively strong base which would be able to react with water to form hydroxide ions, thus raising the pH to above 7. The anions of weak acids are relatively strong bases that will react with water to produce OH- ions, raising the pH. User login Username. Create new account Reset your password. Unanswered Questions how to find the balanced equation of calcium chloride dehydrate and potassium hydroxide.

Calculate the acetate ion concentration in a solution prepared by dissolving 1. Example 1 A solution is made by adding solid NaClO to enough water to make 2. If the solution has a pH of What reaction is taking place?

So, this is a weak base equilibrium problem, like the previous example. Initial X 0. Equilibrium X — x x x. The assumptions are O. The dissociation is 3. In this example, it was important to recognize that ClO - was the conjugate base of a weak acid. The relationship between acids and their conjugate bases is shown, below, for some common acids and bases. K a Acid Base K b. The K b can always be calculated from the K a and vice versa. Salts that produce Acidic solutions.

When a strong acid is used to neutralize a weak base, the reaction again goes to completion. In this way, the reaction is driven to completion. When a salt derived from a strong acid and a weak base dissolves in water, the solution becomes acidic.

For example:. The Cl - has no affinity for a proton, it is the conjugate base of the strong acid, HCl. Example 2 What are the percent hydrolysis and pH of a 0. There is a complete dissociation in water, since this is a strongly electrolytic salt. Once in solution, the Cl - becomes a spectator ion. The reaction itself only involves the ammonium ion. Initial 0.

Equilibrium 0. To check the approximation 7. Salts of weak bases and strong acids do hydrolyze, which gives it a pH less than 7. Salts from a weak base and weak acid also hydrolyze as the others, but a bit more complex and will require the K a and K b to be taken into account. Whichever is the stronger acid will be the dominate factor in determining whether it is acidic or basic.

The cation will be the acid, and the anion will be the base and will form either form a hydronium ion or a hydroxide ion depending on which ion reacts more readily with the water. Salts of Polyprotic Acids Do not be intimidated by the salts of polyprotic acids.

First of all, we know a few things: It's still just a salt. All of the rules from above still apply. Luckily, since we're dealing with acids, the pH of a salt of polyprotic acid will always be greater than 7. Questions Predict whether the pH of each of the following salts placed into water is acidic, basic, or neutral. Find the pH of a solution of. Practice Questions Why does a salt containing a cation from a strong base and an anion from a weak acid form a basic solution? Why does a salt containing a cation from a weak base and an anion from a strong acid form an acidic solution?

How do the K a or K b values help determine whether a weak acid or weak base will be the dominant driving force of a reaction? References Petrucci, Ralph H. Harwood, F G.