Salt

Commonly, the word salt refers to table salt (sodium chloride).

In chemistry, a salt is a neutral compound composed of cations bound to anions. They are typically the product of a chemical reaction between;

• a base and an acid, forming a salt + water, e.g. 2NaOH + H₂SO₄ --> Na₂SO₄ + 2H₂O sodium sulfate
• a metal and an acid, forming a salt + hydrogen, e.g. Mg + H₂SO₄ --> MgSO₄ + H₂ magnesium sulfate
• an acid forming oxide and a base forming oxide, forming a salt, e.g. CO₂ + CaO --> CaCO₃ calcium carbonate

In general, salts are ionic compounds which form crystals. They are often soluble in water, where the two ions separate. Salts typically have a high melting point, low hardness, and low compressibility. If molten or dissolved in water, they conduct electricity.

Salts are named according to their constituent ions. The cationic components, often metal ions or ammonium, are given first, followed by the anionic components. Anions are often named according to the their conjugate acid:

• acetates are the salts of acetic acid
• carbonates are the salts of carbonic acid
• chlorides are the salts of hydrochloric acid
• cyanides are the salts of prussic acid also known as hydrocyanic acid also known as hydrogen cyanide
• nitrates are the salts of nitric acid
• nitrites are the salts of nitrous acid
• phosphates are the salts of phosphoric acid
• sulfates are the salts of sulfuric acid
• citrates are the salts of citric acid

See also:

• electrolyte