I'm trying to understand the formal defintion of a salt. What are the chemical definitions of what makes a compound a  salt 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)
Salt (chemistry) - Wikipedia
2001-10-24
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	<p>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</p>
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<p>This article is about the term as used in chemistry. For the chemistry of table salt, see <a href="/wiki/Sodium_chloride">Sodium chloride</a>.</p>
<p>In <a href="/wiki/Chemistry">chemistry</a>, a <b>salt</b> is a <a href="/wiki/Chemical_compound">chemical compound</a> consisting of an <a href="/wiki/Ion">ionic</a> assembly of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, which results in a compound with no net <a href="/wiki/Electric_charge">electric charge</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup> A common example is <a href="/wiki/Salt">table salt</a>, with positively charged <a href="/wiki/Sodium">sodium</a> ions and negatively charged <a href="/wiki/Chloride">chloride</a> ions.
</p><p>The component ions in a salt compound can be either <a href="/wiki/Inorganic_compound">inorganic</a>, such as <a href="/wiki/Chloride">chloride</a> (Cl<sup>−</sup>), or <a href="/wiki/Organic_chemistry">organic</a>, such as <a href="/wiki/Acetate">acetate</a> (CH<sup></sup><br /><sub>3</sub>COO<sup>−</sup><br /><sub></sub>). Each ion can be either <a href="/wiki/Monatomic_ion">monatomic</a>, such as <a href="/wiki/Fluoride">fluoride</a> (F<sup>−</sup>), or <a href="/wiki/Polyatomic_ion">polyatomic</a>, such as <a href="/wiki/Sulfate">sulfate</a> (SO<sup>2−</sup><br /><sub>4</sub>).
</p>
<h2>Types of salt[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=1">edit</a>]</h2>
<p>Salts can be classified in a variety of ways. Salts that produce <a href="/wiki/Hydroxide">hydroxide</a> <a href="/wiki/Ions">ions</a> when dissolved in <a href="/wiki/Water">water</a> are called <i><a href="/wiki/Alkali_salt">alkali salts</a></i> and salts that produce <a href="/wiki/Hydrogen">hydrogen</a> <a href="/wiki/Ions">ions</a> when dissolved in <a href="/wiki/Water">water</a> are called <i><a href="/wiki/Acid_salt">acid salts</a></i>. <i>Neutral salts</i> are those salts that are neither acidic nor basic. <a href="/wiki/Zwitterion">Zwitterions</a> contain an anionic and a cationic centre in the same <a href="/wiki/Molecule">molecule</a>, but are not considered salts. Examples of zwitterions are <a href="/wiki/Amino_acid">amino acids</a>, many <a href="/wiki/Metabolite">metabolites</a>, <a href="/wiki/Peptide">peptides</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Protein">proteins</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2>Properties[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=2">edit</a>]</h2>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:ILfromOS.svg"></a></p></div>
<h3>Color[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=3">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>Solid salts tend to be <a href="/wiki/Transparency_(optics)">transparent</a>, as illustrated by <a href="/wiki/Sodium_chloride">sodium chloride</a>. In many cases, the apparent <a href="/wiki/Opacity_(optics)">opacity</a> or <a href="/wiki/Transparency_(optics)">transparency</a> are only related to the difference in size of the individual <a href="/wiki/Monocrystal">monocrystals</a>. Since light reflects from the <a href="/wiki/Crystallite">grain boundaries</a> (boundaries between crystallites), larger <a href="/wiki/Crystal">crystals</a> tend to be transparent, while the <a href="/wiki/Polycrystalline">polycrystalline</a> aggregates look like opaque powders or masses.
</p><p>Salts exist in many different <a href="/wiki/Color">colors</a>, which arise either from their constituent anions, cations or <a href="/wiki/Solvation">solvates</a>. For example:
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sodium_chromate">sodium chromate</a> is made yellow by the <a href="/wiki/Chromate_ion">chromate ion</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Potassium_dichromate">potassium dichromate</a> is made orange by the <a href="/wiki/Dichromate_ion">dichromate ion</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Cobalt_nitrate">cobalt nitrate</a> is made red by the chromophore of hydrated cobalt(II) ([Co(H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub>6</sub>]<sup>2+</sup>).</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Copper(II)_sulfate">copper sulfate</a> is made blue by the copper(II) chromophore</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Potassium_permanganate">potassium permanganate</a> is made violet by the <a href="/wiki/Permanganate">permanganate</a> anion.</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Nickel(II)_chloride">nickel chloride</a> is typically made green by the hydrated nickel(II) chloride [NiCl<sub>2</sub>(H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub>4</sub>]</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Sodium_chloride">sodium chloride</a>, <a href="/wiki/Magnesium_sulfate">magnesium sulfate heptahydrate</a> appear colorless or white because the constituent cations and anions do not absorb light in the part of the spectrum that is visible to humans.</li></ul>
<p>Few <a href="/wiki/Minerals">minerals</a> are salts, because they would be solubilized by water.<sup>[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Accuracy_dispute#Disputed_statement">dubious</a> – <a href="/wiki/Talk:Salt_(chemistry)#Dubious">discuss</a></i>]</sup><sup>[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify">clarification needed</a></i>]</sup> Similarly, inorganic <a href="/wiki/Pigment">pigments</a> tend not to be salts, because insolubility is required for fastness. Some organic <a href="/wiki/Dye">dyes</a> are salts, but they are virtually insoluble in water.
</p>
<h3>Taste[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=4">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>Different salts can elicit all five <a href="/wiki/Basic_taste">basic tastes</a>, e.g., <a href="/wiki/Saltiness">salty</a> (<a href="/wiki/Sodium_chloride">sodium chloride</a>), <a href="/wiki/Sweet">sweet</a> (<a href="/wiki/Lead_diacetate">lead diacetate</a>, which will cause <a href="/wiki/Lead_poisoning">lead poisoning</a> if ingested), <a href="/wiki/Sour_(taste)">sour</a> (<a href="/wiki/Potassium_bitartrate">potassium bitartrate</a>), <a href="/wiki/Bitter_(taste)">bitter</a> (<a href="/wiki/Magnesium_sulfate">magnesium sulfate</a>), and <a href="/wiki/Umami">umami</a> or <a href="/wiki/Umami">savory</a> (<a href="/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate">monosodium glutamate</a>).
</p>
<h3>Odor[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=5">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>Salts of strong acids and strong bases ("<a href="#Strong_salt">strong salts</a>") are non-<a href="/wiki/Volatility_(chemistry)">volatile</a> and often odorless, whereas salts of either weak acids or weak bases ("<a href="#Weak_salt">weak salts</a>") may smell like the <a href="/wiki/Conjugate_acid">conjugate acid</a> (e.g., acetates like acetic acid (<a href="/wiki/Vinegar">vinegar</a>) and cyanides like <a href="/wiki/Hydrogen_cyanide">hydrogen cyanide</a> (<a href="/wiki/Almond">almonds</a>) or the conjugate base (e.g., ammonium salts like <a href="/wiki/Ammonia">ammonia</a>) of the component ions. That slow, partial decomposition is usually accelerated by the presence of water, since <a href="/wiki/Hydrolysis">hydrolysis</a> is the other half of the <a href="/wiki/Reversible_reaction">reversible reaction</a> equation of formation of weak salts.
</p>
<h3>Solubility[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=6">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>Many ionic compounds exhibit significant <a href="/wiki/Dissolution_(chemistry)">solubility</a> in water or other polar solvents. Unlike molecular compounds, salts dissociate in solution into anionic and cationic components.
The <a href="/wiki/Lattice_energy">lattice energy</a>, the cohesive forces between these ions within a solid, determines the solubility. The solubility is dependent on how well each ion interacts with the solvent, so certain patterns become apparent. For example, salts of <a href="/wiki/Sodium">sodium</a>, <a href="/wiki/Potassium">potassium</a> and ammonium are usually soluble in water. Notable exceptions include <a href="/wiki/Ammonium_hexachloroplatinate">ammonium hexachloroplatinate</a> and <a href="/wiki/Potassium_cobaltinitrite">potassium cobaltinitrite</a>. Most <a href="/wiki/Nitrates">nitrates</a> and many <a href="/wiki/Sulfate">sulfates</a> are water-soluble. Exceptions include <a href="/wiki/Barium_sulfate">barium sulfate</a>, <a href="/wiki/Calcium_sulfate">calcium sulfate</a> (sparingly soluble), and <a href="/wiki/Lead(II)_sulfate">lead(II) sulfate</a>, where the 2+/2− pairing leads to high lattice energies. For similar reasons, most metal <a href="/wiki/Carbonate">carbonates</a> are not soluble in water. Some soluble carbonate salts are: <a href="/wiki/Sodium_carbonate">sodium carbonate</a>, <a href="/wiki/Potassium_carbonate">potassium carbonate</a> and <a href="/wiki/Ammonium_carbonate">ammonium carbonate</a>.
</p>
<h3>Conductivity[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=7">edit</a>]</h3>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:SegStackEdgeOnHMTFCQ.jpg"></a></p><div><p>Edge-on view of portion of crystal structure of hexamethylene<a href="/wiki/Tetrathiafulvene">TTF</a>/<a href="/wiki/TCNQ">TCNQ</a> charge transfer salt.<sup><a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup></p></div></div>
<p>Salts are characteristically <a href="/wiki/Insulator_(electricity)">insulators</a>. Molten salts or solutions of salts conduct electricity. For this reason, liquified (molten) salts and solutions containing dissolved salts (e.g., sodium chloride in water) can be used as <a href="/wiki/Electrolyte">electrolytes</a>.
</p>
<h3>Melting point[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=8">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>Salts characteristically have high melting points. For example, <a href="/wiki/Sodium_chloride">sodium chloride</a> melts at 801 °C. Some salts with low lattice energies are liquid at or near room temperature. These include <a href="/wiki/Molten_salt">molten salts</a>, which are usually mixtures of salts, and <a href="/wiki/Ionic_liquid">ionic liquids</a>, which usually contain organic cations. These liquids exhibit unusual properties as solvents.
</p>
<h2>Nomenclature[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=9">edit</a>]</h2>
<p>The name of a salt starts with the name of the cation (e.g., <i>sodium</i> or <i>ammonium</i>) followed by the name of the anion (e.g., <i>chloride</i> or <i>acetate</i>). Salts are often referred to only by the name of the cation (e.g., <i>sodium salt</i> or <i>ammonium salt</i>) or by the name of the anion (e.g., <i>chloride salt</i> or <i>acetate salt</i>).
</p><p>Common salt-forming cations include:
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ammonium">Ammonium</a> NH<sup>+</sup><br /><sub>4</sub></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Calcium">Calcium</a> Ca<sup>2+</sup><br /><sub></sub></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Iron">Iron</a> Fe<sup>2+</sup><br /><sub></sub> and Fe<sup>3+</sup><br /><sub></sub></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Magnesium">Magnesium</a> Mg<sup>2+</sup><br /><sub></sub></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Potassium">Potassium</a> K<sup>+</sup><br /><sub></sub></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Pyridinium">Pyridinium</a> C<sup></sup><br /><sub>5</sub>H<sup></sup><br /><sub>5</sub>NH<sup>+</sup><br /><sub></sub></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Quaternary_ammonium_cation">Quaternary ammonium</a> NR<sup>+</sup><br /><sub>4</sub>, R being an <a href="/wiki/Alkyl">alkyl</a> group or an <a href="/wiki/Aryl">aryl</a> group</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Sodium">Sodium</a> Na<sup>+</sup><br /><sub></sub></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Copper">Copper</a> Cu<sup>2+</sup><br /><sub></sub></li></ul>
<p>Common salt-forming anions (parent acids in parentheses where available) include:
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acetate">Acetate</a> CH<sup></sup><br /><sub>3</sub>COO<sup>−</sup><br /><sub></sub> (<a href="/wiki/Acetic_acid">acetic acid</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Carbonate">Carbonate</a> CO<sup>2−</sup><br /><sub>3</sub> (<a href="/wiki/Carbonic_acid">carbonic acid</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Chloride">Chloride</a> Cl<sup>−</sup><br /><sub></sub> (<a href="/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid">hydrochloric acid</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Citrate">Citrate</a> HOC(COO<sup>−</sup><br /><sub></sub>)(CH<sup></sup><br /><sub>2</sub>COO<sup>−</sup><br /><sub></sub>)<sup></sup><br /><sub>2</sub> (<a href="/wiki/Citric_acid">citric acid</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Cyanide">Cyanide</a> C≡N<sup>−</sup><br /><sub></sub> (<a href="/wiki/Hydrocyanic_acid">hydrocyanic acid</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Fluoride">Fluoride</a> F<sup>−</sup><br /><sub></sub> (<a href="/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid">hydrofluoric acid</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Nitrate">Nitrate</a> NO<sup>−</sup><br /><sub>3</sub> (<a href="/wiki/Nitric_acid">nitric acid</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Nitrite">Nitrite</a> NO<sup>−</sup><br /><sub>2</sub> (<a href="/wiki/Nitrous_acid">nitrous acid</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Oxide">Oxide</a> O<sup>2−</sup><br /><sub></sub> (<a href="/wiki/Water">water</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Phosphate">Phosphate</a> PO<sup>3−</sup><br /><sub>4</sub> (<a href="/wiki/Phosphoric_acid">phosphoric acid</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Sulfate">Sulfate</a> SO<sup>2−</sup><br /><sub>4</sub> (<a href="/wiki/Sulfuric_acid">sulfuric acid</a>)</li></ul>
<p>Salts with varying number of hydrogen atoms replaced by cations as compared to their parent acid can be referred to as <i>monobasic</i>, <i>dibasic</i>, or <i>tribasic</i>, identifying that one, two, or three hydrogen atoms have been replaced; <i>polybasic</i> salts refer to those with more than one hydrogen atom replaced. Examples include:
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Monosodium_phosphate">Sodium phosphate monobasic</a> (NaH<sub>2</sub>PO<sub>4</sub>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Disodium_phosphate">Sodium phosphate dibasic</a> (Na<sub>2</sub>HPO<sub>4</sub>)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Trisodium_phosphate">Sodium phosphate tribasic</a> (Na<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub>)</li></ul>
<h2>Formation[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=10">edit</a>]</h2>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:Lead(II)_sulfate.jpg"></a></p><div><p>Solid lead(II) sulfate (PbSO<sub>4</sub>)</p></div></div>
<p>Salts are formed by a <a href="/wiki/Chemical_reaction">chemical reaction</a> between:
</p>
<ul><li>A <a href="/wiki/Base_(chemistry)">base</a> and an <a href="/wiki/Acid">acid</a>, e.g., <a href="/wiki/Ammonia">NH<sub>3</sub></a> + <a href="/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid">HCl</a> → <a href="/wiki/Ammonium_chloride">NH<sub>4</sub>Cl</a></li>
<li>A <a href="/wiki/Metal">metal</a> and an <a href="/wiki/Acid">acid</a>, e.g., <a href="/wiki/Magnesium">Mg</a> + <a href="/wiki/Sulfuric_acid">H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub></a> → <a href="/wiki/Magnesium_sulfate">MgSO<sub>4</sub></a> + <a href="/wiki/Hydrogen">H<sub>2</sub></a></li>
<li>A metal and a non-metal, e.g., <a href="/wiki/Calcium">Ca</a> + <a href="/wiki/Chlorine">Cl<sub>2</sub></a> → <a href="/wiki/Calcium_chloride">CaCl<sub>2</sub></a></li>
<li>A <a href="/wiki/Base_(chemistry)">base</a> and an <a href="/wiki/Acid_anhydride">acid anhydride</a>, e.g., 2 <a href="/wiki/Sodium_Hydroxide">NaOH</a> + <a href="/wiki/Dichlorine_monoxide">Cl<sub>2</sub>O</a> → 2 <a href="/wiki/Sodium_hypochlorite">NaClO</a> + <a href="/wiki/Water">H<sub>2</sub>O</a></li>
<li>An <a href="/wiki/Acid">acid</a> and a <a href="/wiki/Base_anhydride">base anhydride</a>, e.g., 2 <a href="/wiki/Nitric_acid">HNO<sub>3</sub></a> + <a href="/wiki/Sodium_oxide">Na<sub>2</sub>O</a> → 2 <a href="/wiki/Sodium_nitrate">NaNO<sub>3</sub></a> + <a href="/wiki/Water">H<sub>2</sub>O</a></li>
<li>In the <a href="/wiki/Salt_metathesis_reaction">salt metathesis reaction</a> where two different salts are mixed in water, their ions recombine, and the new salt is insoluble and precipitates. For example:
<dl><dd>Pb(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub> + Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> → PbSO<sub>4</sub>↓ + 2 NaNO<sub>3</sub></dd></dl></li></ul>
<h2>Strong salt[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=11">edit</a>]</h2>
<p>Strong salts or strong <a href="/wiki/Electrolyte">electrolyte</a> salts are chemical salts composed of strong electrolytes. These <a href="/wiki/Ionic_compound">ionic compounds</a> dissociate completely in <a href="/wiki/Water">water</a>. They are generally odorless and <a href="/wiki/Volatility_(chemistry)">nonvolatile</a>.
</p><p>Strong salts start with Na__, K__, NH<sub>4</sub>__, or they end with __NO<sub>3</sub>, __ClO<sub>4</sub>, or __CH<sub>3</sub>COO. Most group 1 and 2 metals form strong salts. Strong salts are especially useful when creating conductive compounds as their constituent ions allow for greater conductivity.<sup>[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a></i>]</sup>
</p>
<h2>Weak salt[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=12">edit</a>]</h2>
<p>Weak salts or "weak electrolyte salts" are, as the name suggests, composed of weak <a href="/wiki/Electrolyte">electrolytes</a>. They are generally more <a href="/wiki/Volatility_(chemistry)">volatile</a> than strong salts. They may be similar in <a href="/wiki/Odor">odor</a> to the <a href="/wiki/Acid">acid</a> or <a href="/wiki/Base_(chemistry)">base</a> they are derived from. For example, <a href="/wiki/Sodium_acetate">sodium acetate</a>, CH<sub>3</sub>COONa, smells similar to <a href="/wiki/Acetic_acid">acetic acid</a> CH<sub>3</sub>COOH.
</p>
<h2>See also[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=13">edit</a>]</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bresle_method">Bresle method</a> (the method used to test for salt presence during coating applications)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Carboxylate">Carboxylate</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Fireworks#Pyrotechnic_compounds">Fireworks/pyrotechnics</a> (salts are what give color to fireworks)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Halide">Halide</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Ionic_bond">Ionic bonds</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Natron">Natron</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Salinity">Salinity</a></li></ul>
<h2>References[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Salt_(chemistry)&amp;action=edit&amp;section=14">edit</a>]</h2>
<div><ol>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b> <a href="/wiki/International_Union_of_Pure_and_Applied_Chemistry">IUPAC</a>, <i><a href="/wiki/IUPAC_books#Gold_Book">Compendium of Chemical Terminology</a></i>, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) "<a href="https://goldbook.iupac.org/S05447.html">salt</a>". <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)">doi</a>:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1351%2Fgoldbook.S05447">10.1351/goldbook.S05447</a>
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b> <cite>Voet, D. &amp; Voet, J. G. (2005). <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070911065858/http://www.chem.upenn.edu/chem/research/faculty.php?browse=V"><i>Biochemistry</i></a> (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &amp; Sons Inc. p. 68. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780471193500"><bdi>9780471193500</bdi></a>. Archived from <a href="http://www.chem.upenn.edu/chem/research/faculty.php?browse=V">the original</a> on 2007-09-11.</cite>
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b> <cite>D. Chasseau; G. Comberton; J. Gaultier; C. Hauw (1978). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1107%2FS0567740878003830">"Réexamen de la structure du complexe hexaméthylène-tétrathiafulvalène-tétracyanoquinodiméthane"</a>. <i>Acta Crystallographica Section B</i>. <b>34</b> (2): 689. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)">doi</a>:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1107%2FS0567740878003830">10.1107/S0567740878003830</a>.</cite>
</li>
</ol></div>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mark_Kurlansky">Mark Kurlansky</a> (2002). <i>Salt: A World History</i>. Walker Publishing Company. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-14-200161-9">0-14-200161-9</a>.</li></ul>
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 Contents

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 * (Top)
 * 1 Types of salt
 * 2 Properties
 + 2.1 Color
 + 2.2 Taste
 + 2.3 Odor
 + 2.4 Solubility
 + 2.5 Conductivity
 + 2.6 Melting point
 * 3 Nomenclature
 * 4 Formation
 * 5 Strong salt
 * 6 Weak salt
 * 7 See also
 * 8 References
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 Salt (chemistry)

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 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 This article is about the term as used in chemistry. For the chemistry of table salt, see Sodium chloride.
 "Salts" redirects here. For other uses, see Salt (disambiguation).

 In chemistry, a salt is a chemical compound consisting of an ionic assembly of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, which results in a compound with no net electric charge.[1] A common example is table salt, with positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chloride ions.

 The component ions in a salt compound can be either inorganic, such as chloride (Cl−), or organic, such as acetate ( CH
 3 COO −
 ). Each ion can be either monatomic, such as fluoride (F−), or polyatomic, such as sulfate ( SO 2−
 4).

 Types of salt [ edit ]

 Salts can be classified in a variety of ways. Salts that produce hydroxide ions when dissolved in water are called alkali salts and salts that produce hydrogen ions when dissolved in water are called acid salts. Neutral salts are those salts that are neither acidic nor basic. Zwitterions contain an anionic and a cationic centre in the same molecule, but are not considered salts. Examples of zwitterions are amino acids, many metabolites, peptides, and proteins.[2]

 Properties [ edit ]

 BMIM+PF6−, an ionic liquid

 Color [ edit ]

 Solid salts tend to be transparent, as illustrated by sodium chloride. In many cases, the apparent opacity or transparency are only related to the difference in size of the individual monocrystals. Since light reflects from the grain boundaries (boundaries between crystallites), larger crystals tend to be transparent, while the polycrystalline aggregates look like opaque powders or masses.

 Salts exist in many different colors, which arise either from their constituent anions, cations or solvates. For example:

 * sodium chromate is made yellow by the chromate ion
 * potassium dichromate is made orange by the dichromate ion
 * cobalt nitrate is made red by the chromophore of hydrated cobalt(II) ([Co(H2O)6]2+).
 * copper sulfate is made blue by the copper(II) chromophore
 * potassium permanganate is made violet by the permanganate anion.
 * nickel chloride is typically made green by the hydrated nickel(II) chloride [NiCl2(H2O)4]
 * sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate appear colorless or white because the constituent cations and anions do not absorb light in the part of the spectrum that is visible to humans.

 Few minerals are salts, because they would be solubilized by water.[ dubious – discuss][ clarification needed ] Similarly, inorganic pigments tend not to be salts, because insolubility is required for fastness. Some organic dyes are salts, but they are virtually insoluble in water.

 Taste [ edit ]

 Different salts can elicit all five basic tastes, e.g., salty (sodium chloride), sweet (lead diacetate, which will cause lead poisoning if ingested), sour (potassium bitartrate), bitter (magnesium sulfate), and umami or savory (monosodium glutamate).

 Odor [ edit ]

 Salts of strong acids and strong bases ("strong salts") are non-volatile and often odorless, whereas salts of either weak acids or weak bases ("weak salts") may smell like the conjugate acid (e.g., acetates like acetic acid (vinegar) and cyanides like hydrogen cyanide (almonds) or the conjugate base (e.g., ammonium salts like ammonia) of the component ions. That slow, partial decomposition is usually accelerated by the presence of water, since hydrolysis is the other half of the reversible reaction equation of formation of weak salts.

 Solubility [ edit ]

 See also: Solubility § Solubility of ionic compounds in water

 Many ionic compounds exhibit significant solubility in water or other polar solvents. Unlike molecular compounds, salts dissociate in solution into anionic and cationic components. The lattice energy, the cohesive forces between these ions within a solid, determines the solubility. The solubility is dependent on how well each ion interacts with the solvent, so certain patterns become apparent. For example, salts of sodium, potassium and ammonium are usually soluble in water. Notable exceptions include ammonium hexachloroplatinate and potassium cobaltinitrite. Most nitrates and many sulfates are water-soluble. Exceptions include barium sulfate, calcium sulfate (sparingly soluble), and lead(II) sulfate, where the 2+/2− pairing leads to high lattice energies. For similar reasons, most metal carbonates are not soluble in water. Some soluble carbonate salts are: sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and ammonium carbonate.

 Conductivity [ edit ]

 Edge-on view of portion of crystal structure of hexamethyleneTTF/TCNQ charge transfer salt.[3]

 Salts are characteristically insulators. Molten salts or solutions of salts conduct electricity. For this reason, liquified (molten) salts and solutions containing dissolved salts (e.g., sodium chloride in water) can be used as electrolytes.

 Melting point [ edit ]

 Salts characteristically have high melting points. For example, sodium chloride melts at 801 °C. Some salts with low lattice energies are liquid at or near room temperature. These include molten salts, which are usually mixtures of salts, and ionic liquids, which usually contain organic cations. These liquids exhibit unusual properties as solvents.

 Nomenclature [ edit ]

 The name of a salt starts with the name of the cation (e.g., sodium or ammonium) followed by the name of the anion (e.g., chloride or acetate). Salts are often referred to only by the name of the cation (e.g., sodium salt or ammonium salt) or by the name of the anion (e.g., chloride salt or acetate salt).

 Common salt-forming cations include:

 * Ammonium NH +
 4
 * Calcium Ca 2+
 * Iron Fe 2+
 and Fe 3+
 * Magnesium Mg 2+
 * Potassium K +
 * Pyridinium C
 5 H
 5 NH +
 * Quaternary ammonium NR +
 4, R being an alkyl group or an aryl group
 * Sodium Na +
 * Copper Cu 2+

 Common salt-forming anions (parent acids in parentheses where available) include:

 * Acetate CH
 3 COO −
 (acetic acid)
 * Carbonate CO 2−
 3 (carbonic acid)
 * Chloride Cl −
 (hydrochloric acid)
 * Citrate HOC(COO −
 )(CH
 2 COO −
 )
 2 (citric acid)
 * Cyanide C≡N −
 (hydrocyanic acid)
 * Fluoride F −
 (hydrofluoric acid)
 * Nitrate NO −
 3 (nitric acid)
 * Nitrite NO −
 2 (nitrous acid)
 * Oxide O 2−
 (water)
 * Phosphate PO 3−
 4 (phosphoric acid)
 * Sulfate SO 2−
 4 (sulfuric acid)

 Salts with varying number of hydrogen atoms replaced by cations as compared to their parent acid can be referred to as monobasic, dibasic, or tribasic, identifying that one, two, or three hydrogen atoms have been replaced; polybasic salts refer to those with more than one hydrogen atom replaced. Examples include:

 * Sodium phosphate monobasic (NaH2PO4)
 * Sodium phosphate dibasic (Na2HPO4)
 * Sodium phosphate tribasic (Na3PO4)

 Formation [ edit ]

 Solid lead(II) sulfate (PbSO4)

 Salts are formed by a chemical reaction between:

 * A base and an acid, e.g., NH3 + HCl → NH4Cl
 * A metal and an acid, e.g., Mg + H2SO4 → MgSO4 + H2
 * A metal and a non-metal, e.g., Ca + Cl2 → CaCl2
 * A base and an acid anhydride, e.g., 2 NaOH + Cl2O → 2 NaClO + H2O
 * An acid and a base anhydride, e.g., 2 HNO3 + Na2O → 2 NaNO3 + H2O
 * In the salt metathesis reaction where two different salts are mixed in water, their ions recombine, and the new salt is insoluble and precipitates. For example: Pb(NO3)2 + Na2SO4 → PbSO4↓ + 2 NaNO3

 Strong salt [ edit ]

 Strong salts or strong electrolyte salts are chemical salts composed of strong electrolytes. These ionic compounds dissociate completely in water. They are generally odorless and nonvolatile.

 Strong salts start with Na__, K__, NH4__, or they end with __NO3, __ClO4, or __CH3COO. Most group 1 and 2 metals form strong salts. Strong salts are especially useful when creating conductive compounds as their constituent ions allow for greater conductivity.[ citation needed ]

 Weak salt [ edit ]

 Weak salts or "weak electrolyte salts" are, as the name suggests, composed of weak electrolytes. They are generally more volatile than strong salts. They may be similar in odor to the acid or base they are derived from. For example, sodium acetate, CH3COONa, smells similar to acetic acid CH3COOH.

 See also [ edit ]

 * Bresle method (the method used to test for salt presence during coating applications)
 * Carboxylate
 * Fireworks/pyrotechnics (salts are what give color to fireworks)
 * Halide
 * Ionic bonds
 * Natron
 * Salinity

 References [ edit ]

 1. ^ IUPAC , Compendium of Chemical Terminology , 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) " salt ". doi : 10.1351/goldbook.S05447
 2. ^ Voet, D. & Voet, J. G. (2005). Biochemistry (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc. p. 68. ISBN 9780471193500. Archived from the original on 2007-09-11.
 3. ^ D. Chasseau; G. Comberton; J. Gaultier; C. Hauw (1978). "Réexamen de la structure du complexe hexaméthylène-tétrathiafulvalène-tétracyanoquinodiméthane". Acta Crystallographica Section B. 34 (2): 689. doi:10.1107/S0567740878003830.
 * Mark Kurlansky (2002). Salt: A World History. Walker Publishing Company. ISBN 0-14-200161-9.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
	 
This article is about the term as used in chemistry. For the chemistry of table salt, see Sodium chloride.
In chemistry, a salt is a chemical compound consisting of an ionic assembly of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, which results in a compound with no net electric charge. [1]  A common example is table salt, with positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chloride ions.
 The component ions in a salt compound can be either inorganic, such as chloride (Cl−), or organic, such as acetate (CH   3COO−   ). Each ion can be either monatomic, such as fluoride (F−), or polyatomic, such as sulfate (SO2−  4).
Types of salt[edit]
Salts can be classified in a variety of ways. Salts that produce hydroxide ions when dissolved in water are called  alkali salts  and salts that produce hydrogen ions when dissolved in water are called  acid salts . Neutral salts are those salts that are neither acidic nor basic. Zwitterions contain an anionic and a cationic centre in the same molecule, but are not considered salts. Examples of zwitterions are amino acids, many metabolites, peptides, and proteins. [2] 
Properties[edit]
     
Color[edit]
Solid salts tend to be transparent, as illustrated by sodium chloride. In many cases, the apparent opacity or transparency are only related to the difference in size of the individual monocrystals. Since light reflects from the grain boundaries (boundaries between crystallites), larger crystals tend to be transparent, while the polycrystalline aggregates look like opaque powders or masses.
 Salts exist in many different colors, which arise either from their constituent anions, cations or solvates. For example:
  sodium chromate is made yellow by the chromate ion 
 potassium dichromate is made orange by the dichromate ion 
 cobalt nitrate is made red by the chromophore of hydrated cobalt(II) ([Co(H2O)6]2+).
 copper sulfate is made blue by the copper(II) chromophore
 potassium permanganate is made violet by the permanganate anion.
 nickel chloride is typically made green by the hydrated nickel(II) chloride [NiCl2(H2O)4]
 sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate appear colorless or white because the constituent cations and anions do not absorb light in the part of the spectrum that is visible to humans. 
Few minerals are salts, because they would be solubilized by water.[ dubious – discuss ] [ clarification needed ] Similarly, inorganic pigments tend not to be salts, because insolubility is required for fastness. Some organic dyes are salts, but they are virtually insoluble in water.
Taste[edit]
Different salts can elicit all five basic tastes, e.g., salty (sodium chloride), sweet (lead diacetate, which will cause lead poisoning if ingested), sour (potassium bitartrate), bitter (magnesium sulfate), and umami or savory (monosodium glutamate).
Odor[edit]
Salts of strong acids and strong bases ("strong salts") are non-volatile and often odorless, whereas salts of either weak acids or weak bases ("weak salts") may smell like the conjugate acid (e.g., acetates like acetic acid (vinegar) and cyanides like hydrogen cyanide (almonds) or the conjugate base (e.g., ammonium salts like ammonia) of the component ions. That slow, partial decomposition is usually accelerated by the presence of water, since hydrolysis is the other half of the reversible reaction equation of formation of weak salts.
Solubility[edit]
Many ionic compounds exhibit significant solubility in water or other polar solvents. Unlike molecular compounds, salts dissociate in solution into anionic and cationic components.
The lattice energy, the cohesive forces between these ions within a solid, determines the solubility. The solubility is dependent on how well each ion interacts with the solvent, so certain patterns become apparent. For example, salts of sodium, potassium and ammonium are usually soluble in water. Notable exceptions include ammonium hexachloroplatinate and potassium cobaltinitrite. Most nitrates and many sulfates are water-soluble. Exceptions include barium sulfate, calcium sulfate (sparingly soluble), and lead(II) sulfate, where the 2+/2− pairing leads to high lattice energies. For similar reasons, most metal carbonates are not soluble in water. Some soluble carbonate salts are: sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and ammonium carbonate.
Conductivity[edit]
      Edge-on view of portion of crystal structure of hexamethyleneTTF/TCNQ charge transfer salt. [3]    
Salts are characteristically insulators. Molten salts or solutions of salts conduct electricity. For this reason, liquified (molten) salts and solutions containing dissolved salts (e.g., sodium chloride in water) can be used as electrolytes.
Melting point[edit]
Salts characteristically have high melting points. For example, sodium chloride melts at 801 °C. Some salts with low lattice energies are liquid at or near room temperature. These include molten salts, which are usually mixtures of salts, and ionic liquids, which usually contain organic cations. These liquids exhibit unusual properties as solvents.
Nomenclature[edit]
The name of a salt starts with the name of the cation (e.g., sodium or ammonium) followed by the name of the anion (e.g., chloride or acetate). Salts are often referred to only by the name of the cation (e.g., sodium salt or ammonium salt) or by the name of the anion (e.g., chloride salt or acetate salt).
 Common salt-forming cations include:
  Ammonium NH+  4 
 Calcium Ca2+    
 Iron Fe2+    and Fe3+    
 Magnesium Mg2+    
 Potassium K+    
 Pyridinium C   5H   5NH+    
 Quaternary ammonium NR+  4, R being an alkyl group or an aryl group
 Sodium Na+    
 Copper Cu2+     
Common salt-forming anions (parent acids in parentheses where available) include:
  Acetate CH   3COO−    (acetic acid)
 Carbonate CO2−  3 (carbonic acid)
 Chloride Cl−    (hydrochloric acid)
 Citrate HOC(COO−   )(CH   2COO−   )   2 (citric acid)
 Cyanide C≡N−    (hydrocyanic acid)
 Fluoride F−    (hydrofluoric acid)
 Nitrate NO−  3 (nitric acid)
 Nitrite NO−  2 (nitrous acid)
 Oxide O2−    (water)
 Phosphate PO3−  4 (phosphoric acid)
 Sulfate SO2−  4 (sulfuric acid) 
Salts with varying number of hydrogen atoms replaced by cations as compared to their parent acid can be referred to as monobasic, dibasic, or tribasic, identifying that one, two, or three hydrogen atoms have been replaced; polybasic salts refer to those with more than one hydrogen atom replaced. Examples include:
  Sodium phosphate monobasic (NaH2PO4)
 Sodium phosphate dibasic (Na2HPO4)
 Sodium phosphate tribasic (Na3PO4) 
Formation[edit]
      Solid lead(II) sulfate (PbSO4)  
Salts are formed by a chemical reaction between:
 A base and an acid, e.g., NH3  + HCl → NH4Cl 
A metal and an acid, e.g., Mg + H2SO4  → MgSO4  + H2  
A metal and a non-metal, e.g., Ca + Cl2  → CaCl2  
A base and an acid anhydride, e.g., 2 NaOH + Cl2O → 2 NaClO + H2O 
An acid and a base anhydride, e.g., 2 HNO3  + Na2O → 2 NaNO3  + H2O 
In the salt metathesis reaction where two different salts are mixed in water, their ions recombine, and the new salt is insoluble and precipitates. For example:
 Pb(NO3)2 + Na2SO4 → PbSO4↓ + 2 NaNO3    
Strong salt[edit]
Strong salts or strong electrolyte salts are chemical salts composed of strong electrolytes. These ionic compounds dissociate completely in water. They are generally odorless and nonvolatile.
 Strong salts start with Na__, K__, NH4__, or they end with __NO3, __ClO4, or __CH3COO. Most group 1 and 2 metals form strong salts. Strong salts are especially useful when creating conductive compounds as their constituent ions allow for greater conductivity.[ citation needed ]
Weak salt[edit]
Weak salts or "weak electrolyte salts" are, as the name suggests, composed of weak electrolytes. They are generally more volatile than strong salts. They may be similar in odor to the acid or base they are derived from. For example, sodium acetate, CH3COONa, smells similar to acetic acid CH3COOH.
See also[edit]
  Bresle method (the method used to test for salt presence during coating applications)
 Carboxylate 
 Fireworks/pyrotechnics (salts are what give color to fireworks)
 Halide 
 Ionic bonds 
 Natron 
 Salinity  
References[edit]
 
  ^  IUPAC,  Compendium of Chemical Terminology , 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) "salt". doi:10.1351/goldbook.S05447
  ^  Voet, D. &amp; Voet, J. G. (2005).  Biochemistry  (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &amp; Sons Inc. p. 68. ISBN  9780471193500 . Archived from the original on 2007-09-11.
  ^  D. Chasseau; G. Comberton; J. Gaultier; C. Hauw (1978). "Réexamen de la structure du complexe hexaméthylène-tétrathiafulvalène-tétracyanoquinodiméthane". Acta Crystallographica Section B. 34 (2): 689. doi:10.1107/S0567740878003830.
 
  Mark Kurlansky (2002). Salt: A World History. Walker Publishing Company. ISBN 0-14-200161-9.
Salt (chemistry) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)#Properties
https://koyuncusalt.com/en/salt-library/how-can-you-identify-a-salt
How Can You Identify a Salt? - Salt Library - Koyuncu Salt
2020-09-21
DoIT Agency
<div><div>
 <p>In straightforward thinking, salt is something that we use in everyday life mostly for cooking or flavoring food, right? However, how can you identify salt in chemistry?  </p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.koyuncusalt.com/en/giris">Koyuncu Salt, Turkey’s leading salt exporter</a>, we will explain important topics such as; <strong>how can you identify a salt?</strong> <strong>What is the easiest way to identify salt in salt analysis?</strong> And <strong>how do you do a simple salt analysis?</strong> Let’s begin. </p>
<h2><a></a>What is Salt in Chemistry?</h2>
<p>To answer the question of “how can you identify a salt?” you need to understand what salt refers to in chemistry. In chemistry, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt">salt</a> is a chemical compound produced by the reaction of an acid with a base. Salt consists of two oppositely charged ions; the positive ion (cation) of a base and the negative ion (anion) of an acid.  </p>
<p>The <strong>chemical reaction</strong> that produces salt is called neutralization which is between the acid and the base. Commonly, salt also refers to <a href="https://www.koyuncusalt.com/en/salt/food-salt">table salt</a> which consists of sodium and chloride (NaCI.) Usually, salt consists of positive ions from a metal (Na1+) and negative ions from a non-metal (CI1-).</p>
<h2><a></a>How is Salt Bonded Together?</h2>
<p></p>
<p>You need to understand how ions are formed in the first place to understand how salt is bonded together. There are two ways ions form.  </p>
<p><strong>Positive ion</strong>: When an atom loses an electron, it becomes a cation. Losing a negatively charged electron, the atom becomes positive.  </p>
<p><strong>Negative ion</strong>: An atom can gain an electron to become an anion as well which is because of the <em>octet rule</em> as chemists usually put it. It means that an atom can obtain stability by eight valences, or outer, electrons. Losing or gaining electrons to form an ion is a way of achieving this. </p>
<p>So, when metal sodium meets gaseous chloride, they both form ions, and a reaction takes place. As a result, sodium gains a positive charge, and the two oppositely charged ions bond together. </p>
<h2><a></a>Properties of Salt</h2>
<p></p>
<p>One can answer the question of “how can you identify salt?” by conducting a salt analysis. However, we will discuss the topics of salt analysis and “how do you do a simple salt analysis?” later in the article. For now, let us go through the properties of salt which makes salt “salt” in the first place. </p>
<p>●       Salt has a strictly-ordered formation of molecules that gives it a form of a crystal structure or white crystalline powder.</p>
<p>●       Salt has a transparent and colorless form.</p>
<p>●       It is soluble in water under certain conditions.</p>
<p>●       Salt is also hygroscopic which means that it can absorb moisture from damp atmospheres (above 75% relative humidity or it dries out)</p>
<p>●       It melts at 801°C.</p>
<p>●       It begins to vaporize at slightly above 1,413°C.</p>
<p>●       Salt is an electrolyte. By dissolving in water, salt creates free-flowing ions and make the water conduct electricity. </p>
<p>Now that we have covered the basic information to identify salt as a chemical compound in general, we can dive into the details on “how can you identify a salt?” by defining salt analysis. </p>
<h2><a></a>What is Salt Analysis?</h2>
<p>Also known as <strong>systematic qualitative analysis or qualitative inorganic analysis</strong>, salt analysis is the identification of the cation and anion of an inorganic salt. This analysis is conducted by a systematic series of tests and observations to prove the absence or presence of cations and anions. </p>
<h2><a></a>How Do You Do a Simple Salt Analysis?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/experiments-chemical-laboratory-experiment-was-carried-out-laboratory-transparent-flasks_10001371.htm#page=1&amp;query=chemical%20analysis&amp;position=8"></a></p>
<p>As stated above in the definition of salt analysis, salt can be identified by conducting a salt analysis that reveals its cations and anions. Then, what is the easiest way to identify salt in salt analysis? Let’s break the salt analysis down to steps to achieve a better answer to “how do you do a simple salt analysis?” </p>
<p><strong>Step #1</strong> Procure the inorganic salt you will identify. </p>
<p><strong>Step #2</strong> Make preliminary tests for anions until you achieve positive results. </p>
<p><strong>Step #3</strong> Conduct preliminary tests for cations once you achieve positive results from the preliminary tests for anions and test until you reach a positive result.  </p>
<p><strong>Step #4</strong> Conduct confirmatory tests for both after you achieve positive results. </p>
<p><strong>Step #5</strong> Once you identify the cations and anions, attain the chemical formula of salt by balancing the charges. </p>
<h2><a></a>How to Identify a Simple Salt</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/tr/image-photo/laboratory-food-products-analysis-sea-salt-1137766268"></a></p>
<p>There is a certain basic procedure to identify a salt that can be followed. </p>
<h3><a></a>1.    Look at the Appearance of the Compound</h3>
<p>Typically the compound appears in a solid form. Moreover, as we mentioned earlier under the properties of salt, its shape is crystal and color is transparent or white. However, the ions of transition elements can be colored. For instance;<sup>   </sup></p>
<h3><a></a>2.    Check the Effect of Heating</h3>
<p>Heat the compound in a test tube. Does the heating cause a liquid to condense inside of the tube? Most probably, it is water, meaning that the compound you have is a hydrate. If the heating causes a gas to give off, then you should note the color and odor of it. </p>
<h3><a></a>3.    Conduct a Flame Test</h3>
<p>Conducting a flame test is another way to answer “what is the easiest way to identify salt in salt analysis?” Solutions of ions can cause the flame to change color according to the characteristic of the atom.  </p>
<p>For this test, the solutions of ions are mixed with concentrated HCI and then heated on a wire flame (nickel or chromium.)</p>
<h3><a></a>4.    Test Its Reaction with Hydrochloric Acid</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/tr/image-photo/scientist-working-colored-litmus-paper-hand-468557870"></a></p>
<p>Dropwise HCI is added to the solution until the test results in acidic to litmus paper. Make observations for any reaction. Any cation that forms an insoluble chloride will form a precipitate.</p>
<h3><a></a>5.    Note Its Solubility in Water</h3>
<p>How do you do a simple salt analysis? You can place a small spatula of the compound in 1 mL of water to check its solubility in water. If soluble, the compound dissolves after considerable stirring. </p>
<p> If some amount dissolves while some do not, then the compound is moderately soluble. It can also be insoluble in which situation the compound does not dissolve at all. </p>
<p>These are some of the ways to identify a salt. <em>If you are interested in different applications and types of salt, you may read our articles “</em><a href="https://www.koyuncusalt.com/en/salt-library/salt-applications-for-industry"><em>Salt Applications for Industry</em></a><em>” and “</em><a href="https://www.koyuncusalt.com/en/salt-library/kosher-salt-what-s-special-about-kosher-salt-why-it-s-called-kosher"><em>Kosher Salt: What’s special about kosher salt? Why It’s Called Kosher?</em></a><em>”</em> </p>
<h3>6.    Sieve analysis</h3>
<p>By using different sieves, Salt can be identified by its granule size. </p>
<h3>7.    Moisture analysis </h3>
<p>Starts with weight measurement of a salt on room temperature. After that salt will be heated to 140 Celcius Degree. This will lead to loose its moisture completely. </p>
<p>The heated salt’s weight will be measured again. The difference between first measurement and second measurement gives us the moisture so you can have the ratio of moisture in the salt. </p>
 
 <p>
 <a href="https://koyuncusalt.com/en/salt-library/how-can-you-identify-a-salt">Properties of Salt</a>
 <a href="https://koyuncusalt.com/en/salt-library/how-can-you-identify-a-salt"> How is Salt Bonded Together?</a>
 <a href="https://koyuncusalt.com/en/salt-library/how-can-you-identify-a-salt"> What is Salt in Chemistry?</a>
 <a href="https://koyuncusalt.com/en/salt-library/how-can-you-identify-a-salt"> How Can You Identify a Salt?</a>
 <a href="https://koyuncusalt.com/en/salt-library/how-can-you-identify-a-salt"> salt analysis</a>
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 How Can You Identify a Salt?

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 * Salt Library
 * How Can You Identify a Salt?

 How Can You Identify a Salt?

 2020-09-21(27983)





 In straightforward thinking, salt is something that we use in everyday life mostly for cooking or flavoring food, right? However, how can you identify salt in chemistry?

 As Koyuncu Salt, Turkey’s leading salt exporter , we will explain important topics such as; how can you identify a salt? What is the easiest way to identify salt in salt analysis? And how do you do a simple salt analysis? Let’s begin.

 What is Salt in Chemistry?

 To answer the question of “how can you identify a salt?” you need to understand what salt refers to in chemistry. In chemistry, salt is a chemical compound produced by the reaction of an acid with a base. Salt consists of two oppositely charged ions; the positive ion (cation) of a base and the negative ion (anion) of an acid.

 The chemical reaction that produces salt is called neutralization which is between the acid and the base. Commonly, salt also refers to table salt which consists of sodium and chloride (NaCI.) Usually, salt consists of positive ions from a metal (Na1+) and negative ions from a non-metal (CI1-).

 How is Salt Bonded Together?

 You need to understand how ions are formed in the first place to understand how salt is bonded together. There are two ways ions form.

 Positive ion : When an atom loses an electron, it becomes a cation. Losing a negatively charged electron, the atom becomes positive.

 Negative ion : An atom can gain an electron to become an anion as well which is because of the octet rule as chemists usually put it. It means that an atom can obtain stability by eight valences, or outer, electrons. Losing or gaining electrons to form an ion is a way of achieving this.

 So, when metal sodium meets gaseous chloride, they both form ions, and a reaction takes place. As a result, sodium gains a positive charge, and the two oppositely charged ions bond together.

 Properties of Salt

 One can answer the question of “how can you identify salt?” by conducting a salt analysis. However, we will discuss the topics of salt analysis and “how do you do a simple salt analysis?” later in the article. For now, let us go through the properties of salt which makes salt “salt” in the first place.

 ● Salt has a strictly-ordered formation of molecules that gives it a form of a crystal structure or white crystalline powder.

 ● Salt has a transparent and colorless form.

 ● It is soluble in water under certain conditions.

 ● Salt is also hygroscopic which means that it can absorb moisture from damp atmospheres (above 75% relative humidity or it dries out)

 ● It melts at 801°C.

 ● It begins to vaporize at slightly above 1,413°C.

 ● Salt is an electrolyte. By dissolving in water, salt creates free-flowing ions and make the water conduct electricity.

 Now that we have covered the basic information to identify salt as a chemical compound in general, we can dive into the details on “how can you identify a salt?” by defining salt analysis.

 What is Salt Analysis?

 Also known as systematic qualitative analysis or qualitative inorganic analysis , salt analysis is the identification of the cation and anion of an inorganic salt. This analysis is conducted by a systematic series of tests and observations to prove the absence or presence of cations and anions.

 How Do You Do a Simple Salt Analysis?

 As stated above in the definition of salt analysis, salt can be identified by conducting a salt analysis that reveals its cations and anions. Then, what is the easiest way to identify salt in salt analysis? Let’s break the salt analysis down to steps to achieve a better answer to “how do you do a simple salt analysis?”

 Step #1 Procure the inorganic salt you will identify.

 Step #2 Make preliminary tests for anions until you achieve positive results.

 Step #3 Conduct preliminary tests for cations once you achieve positive results from the preliminary tests for anions and test until you reach a positive result.

 Step #4 Conduct confirmatory tests for both after you achieve positive results.

 Step #5 Once you identify the cations and anions, attain the chemical formula of salt by balancing the charges.

 How to Identify a Simple Salt

 There is a certain basic procedure to identify a salt that can be followed.

 1. Look at the Appearance of the Compound

 Typically the compound appears in a solid form. Moreover, as we mentioned earlier under the properties of salt, its shape is crystal and color is transparent or white. However, the ions of transition elements can be colored. For instance;





 Cr 3+ violet
 
 Co 2+ rose 
 
 

 2. Check the Effect of Heating

 Heat the compound in a test tube. Does the heating cause a liquid to condense inside of the tube? Most probably, it is water, meaning that the compound you have is a hydrate. If the heating causes a gas to give off, then you should note the color and odor of it.

 3. Conduct a Flame Test

 Conducting a flame test is another way to answer “what is the easiest way to identify salt in salt analysis?” Solutions of ions can cause the flame to change color according to the characteristic of the atom.

 For this test, the solutions of ions are mixed with concentrated HCI and then heated on a wire flame (nickel or chromium.)

 4. Test Its Reaction with Hydrochloric Acid

 Dropwise HCI is added to the solution until the test results in acidic to litmus paper. Make observations for any reaction. Any cation that forms an insoluble chloride will form a precipitate.

 5. Note Its Solubility in Water

 How do you do a simple salt analysis? You can place a small spatula of the compound in 1 mL of water to check its solubility in water. If soluble, the compound dissolves after considerable stirring.

 If some amount dissolves while some do not, then the compound is moderately soluble. It can also be insoluble in which situation the compound does not dissolve at all.

 These are some of the ways to identify a salt. If you are interested in different applications and types of salt, you may read our articles “ Salt Applications for Industry ” and “ Kosher Salt: What’s special about kosher salt? Why It’s Called Kosher? ”

 6. Sieve analysis

 By using different sieves, Salt can be identified by its granule size.

 7. Moisture analysis

 Starts with weight measurement of a salt on room temperature. After that salt will be heated to 140 Celcius Degree. This will lead to loose its moisture completely.

 The heated salt’s weight will be measured again. The difference between first measurement and second measurement gives us the moisture so you can have the ratio of moisture in the salt.


 Properties of Salt How is Salt Bonded Together? What is Salt in Chemistry? How Can You Identify a Salt? salt analysis

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In straightforward thinking, salt is something that we use in everyday life mostly for cooking or flavoring food, right? However, how can you identify salt in chemistry?  
As Koyuncu Salt, Turkey’s leading salt exporter, we will explain important topics such as; how can you identify a salt? What is the easiest way to identify salt in salt analysis? And how do you do a simple salt analysis? Let’s begin. 
  What is Salt in Chemistry?
To answer the question of “how can you identify a salt?” you need to understand what salt refers to in chemistry. In chemistry, salt is a chemical compound produced by the reaction of an acid with a base. Salt consists of two oppositely charged ions; the positive ion (cation) of a base and the negative ion (anion) of an acid.  
The chemical reaction that produces salt is called neutralization which is between the acid and the base. Commonly, salt also refers to table salt which consists of sodium and chloride (NaCI.) Usually, salt consists of positive ions from a metal (Na1+) and negative ions from a non-metal (CI1-).
  How is Salt Bonded Together?
 
You need to understand how ions are formed in the first place to understand how salt is bonded together. There are two ways ions form.  
 Positive ion: When an atom loses an electron, it becomes a cation. Losing a negatively charged electron, the atom becomes positive.  
 Negative ion: An atom can gain an electron to become an anion as well which is because of the octet rule as chemists usually put it. It means that an atom can obtain stability by eight valences, or outer, electrons. Losing or gaining electrons to form an ion is a way of achieving this. 
So, when metal sodium meets gaseous chloride, they both form ions, and a reaction takes place. As a result, sodium gains a positive charge, and the two oppositely charged ions bond together. 
  Properties of Salt
 
One can answer the question of “how can you identify salt?” by conducting a salt analysis. However, we will discuss the topics of salt analysis and “how do you do a simple salt analysis?” later in the article. For now, let us go through the properties of salt which makes salt “salt” in the first place. 
●       Salt has a strictly-ordered formation of molecules that gives it a form of a crystal structure or white crystalline powder.
●       Salt has a transparent and colorless form.
●       It is soluble in water under certain conditions.
●       Salt is also hygroscopic which means that it can absorb moisture from damp atmospheres (above 75% relative humidity or it dries out)
●       It melts at 801°C.
●       It begins to vaporize at slightly above 1,413°C.
●       Salt is an electrolyte. By dissolving in water, salt creates free-flowing ions and make the water conduct electricity. 
Now that we have covered the basic information to identify salt as a chemical compound in general, we can dive into the details on “how can you identify a salt?” by defining salt analysis. 
  What is Salt Analysis?
Also known as systematic qualitative analysis or qualitative inorganic analysis, salt analysis is the identification of the cation and anion of an inorganic salt. This analysis is conducted by a systematic series of tests and observations to prove the absence or presence of cations and anions. 
  How Do You Do a Simple Salt Analysis?
   
As stated above in the definition of salt analysis, salt can be identified by conducting a salt analysis that reveals its cations and anions. Then, what is the easiest way to identify salt in salt analysis? Let’s break the salt analysis down to steps to achieve a better answer to “how do you do a simple salt analysis?” 
 Step #1 Procure the inorganic salt you will identify. 
 Step #2 Make preliminary tests for anions until you achieve positive results. 
 Step #3 Conduct preliminary tests for cations once you achieve positive results from the preliminary tests for anions and test until you reach a positive result.  
 Step #4 Conduct confirmatory tests for both after you achieve positive results. 
 Step #5 Once you identify the cations and anions, attain the chemical formula of salt by balancing the charges. 
  How to Identify a Simple Salt
   
There is a certain basic procedure to identify a salt that can be followed. 
  1.    Look at the Appearance of the Compound
Typically the compound appears in a solid form. Moreover, as we mentioned earlier under the properties of salt, its shape is crystal and color is transparent or white. However, the ions of transition elements can be colored. For instance;    
  2.    Check the Effect of Heating
Heat the compound in a test tube. Does the heating cause a liquid to condense inside of the tube? Most probably, it is water, meaning that the compound you have is a hydrate. If the heating causes a gas to give off, then you should note the color and odor of it. 
  3.    Conduct a Flame Test
Conducting a flame test is another way to answer “what is the easiest way to identify salt in salt analysis?” Solutions of ions can cause the flame to change color according to the characteristic of the atom.  
For this test, the solutions of ions are mixed with concentrated HCI and then heated on a wire flame (nickel or chromium.)
  4.    Test Its Reaction with Hydrochloric Acid
   
Dropwise HCI is added to the solution until the test results in acidic to litmus paper. Make observations for any reaction. Any cation that forms an insoluble chloride will form a precipitate.
  5.    Note Its Solubility in Water
How do you do a simple salt analysis? You can place a small spatula of the compound in 1 mL of water to check its solubility in water. If soluble, the compound dissolves after considerable stirring. 
 If some amount dissolves while some do not, then the compound is moderately soluble. It can also be insoluble in which situation the compound does not dissolve at all. 
These are some of the ways to identify a salt. If you are interested in different applications and types of salt, you may read our articles “  Salt Applications for Industry  ” and “  Kosher Salt: What’s special about kosher salt? Why It’s Called Kosher?  ” 
6.    Sieve analysis
By using different sieves, Salt can be identified by its granule size. 
7.    Moisture analysis 
Starts with weight measurement of a salt on room temperature. After that salt will be heated to 140 Celcius Degree. This will lead to loose its moisture completely. 
The heated salt’s weight will be measured again. The difference between first measurement and second measurement gives us the moisture so you can have the ratio of moisture in the salt. 
 
 
 Properties of Salt
  How is Salt Bonded Together?
  What is Salt in Chemistry?
  How Can You Identify a Salt?
  salt analysis
How Can You Identify a Salt? - Salt Library - Koyuncu Salt
https://www.koyuncusalt.com/en/salt-library/how-can-you-identify-a-salt
https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-salt-604644
What Is a Salt, Really?
2008-03-13
Anne Marie Helmenstine; Ph D
<div><div>
<article>
<div>
<h2>
Salt Definition in Chemistry
</h2>
<p>
The Different Meanings of "Salt"</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>Updated on September 05, 2019</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>
The word <strong>salt</strong> has different meanings in common usage and in chemistry. If you ask someone to pass the salt at dinner, this refers to <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/table-salt-molecular-formula-608479">table salt</a>, which is <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/crystal-photo-gallery-4064886">sodium chloride</a> or NaCl<strong>.</strong> In chemistry, sodium chloride is an example of a type of salt. A salt is an <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-ionic-bond-604536">ionic</a> <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-compound-605842">compound</a> produced by <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/salt-formation-and-neutralization-reaction-603662">reacting</a> an <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-acid-and-examples-604358">acid</a> with a <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-base-604382">base</a> or occurring as a natural mineral. In other words, a salt is produced by a neutralization reaction.
</p>
<h2> </h2>
<p>
A salt is an ionic compound in which the cation is a metal and anion is a nonmetal or group of nonmetals.
</p>
<p>
Specific examples include sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), and copper sulfate (CuSO<sub>4</sub>). Other salts are magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), ammonium dichlorate, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).
</p>
</div>
</article>
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 Science, Tech, Math › Science

 Salt Definition in Chemistry

 The Different Meanings of "Salt"

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 Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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 Updated on September 05, 2019

 The word salt has different meanings in common usage and in chemistry. If you ask someone to pass the salt at dinner, this refers to table salt, which is sodium chloride or NaCl. In chemistry, sodium chloride is an example of a type of salt. A salt is an ionic compound produced by reacting an acid with a base or occurring as a natural mineral. In other words, a salt is produced by a neutralization reaction.

 Examples

 A salt is an ionic compound in which the cation is a metal and anion is a nonmetal or group of nonmetals.

 Specific examples include sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), and copper sulfate (CuSO4). Other salts are magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), ammonium dichlorate, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

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 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Salt Definition in Chemistry." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/definition-of-salt-604644. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 28). Salt Definition in Chemistry. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-salt-604644 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Salt Definition in Chemistry." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-salt-604644 (accessed April 30, 2024).
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Salt Definition in Chemistry
The Different Meanings of "Salt"
Updated on September 05, 2019
The word salt has different meanings in common usage and in chemistry. If you ask someone to pass the salt at dinner, this refers to table salt, which is sodium chloride or NaCl. In chemistry, sodium chloride is an example of a type of salt. A salt is an ionic compound produced by reacting an acid with a base or occurring as a natural mineral. In other words, a salt is produced by a neutralization reaction.
 
A salt is an ionic compound in which the cation is a metal and anion is a nonmetal or group of nonmetals.
Specific examples include sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), and copper sulfate (CuSO4). Other salts are magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), ammonium dichlorate, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).
What Is a Salt, Really?
https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-salt-604644
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https://www.wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/09/23/how-does-dissolving-a-salt-molecule-in-water-make-its-atoms-ionize/
How does dissolving a salt molecule in water make its atoms ionize?
2013-09-23
None
<div><article>
<p>Category: <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/category/chemistry/">Chemistry</a>      Published: September 23, 2013 </p>
<div><p></p><p>Public Domain Image, source: Christopher S. Baird.</p>
</div>
<p>Dissolving a salt molecule in water does not make its atoms ionize. The atoms in solid salts are already ionized long before touching water.</p>
<p>Electrons in an atom can only take on specific wave states, and only one electron can occupy one wave state at a time. As a result, electrons in an atom take <em>different</em> states, starting from the lowest energy state and going upwards in energy until the electrons have all found distinct states. For various reasons that are not worth mentioning here, electron states in atoms tend to form various groups, with the states in the same group having very similar energies and states. Chemists call these groups of electron states "shells", even though they have nothing to do with literal shells.</p>
<p>The interesting thing is that an atom with completely filled shells is very stable (all the available states in each group are occupied by electrons). On the other hand, an atom with its outermost shell only partially filled has a strong tendency to steal, lose, or share electrons from other atoms in order to fill its outermost shell and become stable. Such atoms are therefore chemically reactive. A well-known salt is sodium chloride (table salt), so let's use it as an example. A single neutral sodium atom has eleven electrons. Ten of these electrons fill states such that they form complete shells. The eleventh electron of sodium, however, is alone in the outermost, partially filled shell. Electrons are bound in atoms because their negative electric charge experiences electric attraction to the positive charge of the atom's nucleus. But for sodium, the negatively-charged electrons in the inner, completed shells do a good job of blocking, or screening, the attractive force of the nucleus on the eleventh electron. As a result, the eleventh electron of sodium is loosely bound to the atom and is ripe for being stolen by a more powerful atom.</p>
<p>In contrast, chlorine (17 electrons) has all of its shells filled with electrons except for its outermost shell which is one electron short of being complete. There is a very strong attraction by the chlorine atom on an outside electron which is needed to complete its shell. Sodium and chlorine are therefore a perfect match. Sodium has one electron it is not holding onto very strongly, and chlorine is looking for one more electron to steal to fill its shell. As a result, a pure sample of sodium reacts strongly with a pure sample of chlorine and the end product is table salt. Each chlorine atom steals an electron from the sodium atom. Each sodium atom now has 11 positive protons and 10 negative electrons, for a net charge of +1. Each chlorine atom now has 17 positive protons and 18 negative electrons for a net charge of -1. The atoms have therefore been ionized by the reaction that forms solid table salt, all without the presence of water. Both the sodium and the chlorine ions now have completely filled shells and are therefore stable. This is a good example of an atom that naturally has <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/06/07/why-do-atoms-always-contain-the-same-number-of-electrons-and-protons/">an unequal number of electron and protons</a>.</p>
<p>The net positive sodium ion is now attracted to the net negative chlorine ion and this attraction forms what we call an "ionic bond". But, in reality, we don't have just one sodium ion sticking to ion chlorine ion. Instead, a lattice of many sodium ions ionically bonds to a lattice of chlorine ions, and we end up with a crystalline solid. Each sodium ion in the crystalline lattice of table salt is bound to the 6 nearest chlorine ions, and the same goes for each chlorine ion. The atoms in table salt are therefore already in the ionized state.</p>
<p>Adding water does not ionize the atoms in salt, because they are already ionized. Instead, the water molecules stick to the already formed ions in the salt. The textbook titled <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=arRGYE0GxRQC">Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments</a> by Gerald Karp states, "A crystal of table salt is held together by an electrostatic attraction between positively charged Na<sup>+</sup> and negatively charged Cl<sup>–</sup> ions. This type of attraction between fully charged components is called an ionic bond (or a salt bridge). Ionic bonds within a salt crystal may be quite strong. However, if a crystal of salt is dissolved in water, each of the individual ions becomes surrounded by water molecules, which inhibit oppositely charged ions from approaching one another closely enough to form ionic bonds." Each water molecule has a permanent dipole, meaning that one end is always slightly positively charged and the other end is always slightly negatively charged. The charged ends of the water molecules are so strongly attracted to the charged ions in the salt crystal that the water destroys the solid lattice structure of the salt and each sodium and chlorine ion becomes surrounded by a layer of sticky water molecules. In chemistry, we say the salt has been dissolved by the water. It's like a rock band exiting the limousine into a crowd of fans and becoming separated as each band member gets surrounded by his own circle of fans. If the atoms in solid salt were not ionized to begin with, the water would not do such a good job dissolving the salt.</p>
<p>
Topics: 
<a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/tag/atom">atom</a>, <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/tag/atoms">atoms</a>, <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/tag/dissolve">dissolve</a>, <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/tag/electron">electron</a>, <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/tag/ionize">ionize</a>, <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/tag/ions">ions</a>, <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/tag/salt">salt</a>, <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/tag/solution">solution</a>, <a href="https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/tag/water">water</a>
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How does dissolving a salt molecule in water make its atoms ionize?

Category: Chemistry Published: September 23, 2013

 Public Domain Image, source: Christopher S. Baird.

Dissolving a salt molecule in water does not make its atoms ionize. The atoms in solid salts are already ionized long before touching water.

Electrons in an atom can only take on specific wave states, and only one electron can occupy one wave state at a time. As a result, electrons in an atom take different states, starting from the lowest energy state and going upwards in energy until the electrons have all found distinct states. For various reasons that are not worth mentioning here, electron states in atoms tend to form various groups, with the states in the same group having very similar energies and states. Chemists call these groups of electron states "shells", even though they have nothing to do with literal shells.

The interesting thing is that an atom with completely filled shells is very stable (all the available states in each group are occupied by electrons). On the other hand, an atom with its outermost shell only partially filled has a strong tendency to steal, lose, or share electrons from other atoms in order to fill its outermost shell and become stable. Such atoms are therefore chemically reactive. A well-known salt is sodium chloride (table salt), so let's use it as an example. A single neutral sodium atom has eleven electrons. Ten of these electrons fill states such that they form complete shells. The eleventh electron of sodium, however, is alone in the outermost, partially filled shell. Electrons are bound in atoms because their negative electric charge experiences electric attraction to the positive charge of the atom's nucleus. But for sodium, the negatively-charged electrons in the inner, completed shells do a good job of blocking, or screening, the attractive force of the nucleus on the eleventh electron. As a result, the eleventh electron of sodium is loosely bound to the atom and is ripe for being stolen by a more powerful atom.

In contrast, chlorine (17 electrons) has all of its shells filled with electrons except for its outermost shell which is one electron short of being complete. There is a very strong attraction by the chlorine atom on an outside electron which is needed to complete its shell. Sodium and chlorine are therefore a perfect match. Sodium has one electron it is not holding onto very strongly, and chlorine is looking for one more electron to steal to fill its shell. As a result, a pure sample of sodium reacts strongly with a pure sample of chlorine and the end product is table salt. Each chlorine atom steals an electron from the sodium atom. Each sodium atom now has 11 positive protons and 10 negative electrons, for a net charge of +1. Each chlorine atom now has 17 positive protons and 18 negative electrons for a net charge of -1. The atoms have therefore been ionized by the reaction that forms solid table salt, all without the presence of water. Both the sodium and the chlorine ions now have completely filled shells and are therefore stable. This is a good example of an atom that naturally has an unequal number of electron and protons.

The net positive sodium ion is now attracted to the net negative chlorine ion and this attraction forms what we call an "ionic bond". But, in reality, we don't have just one sodium ion sticking to ion chlorine ion. Instead, a lattice of many sodium ions ionically bonds to a lattice of chlorine ions, and we end up with a crystalline solid. Each sodium ion in the crystalline lattice of table salt is bound to the 6 nearest chlorine ions, and the same goes for each chlorine ion. The atoms in table salt are therefore already in the ionized state.

Adding water does not ionize the atoms in salt, because they are already ionized. Instead, the water molecules stick to the already formed ions in the salt. The textbook titled Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments by Gerald Karp states, "A crystal of table salt is held together by an electrostatic attraction between positively charged Na+ and negatively charged Cl– ions. This type of attraction between fully charged components is called an ionic bond (or a salt bridge). Ionic bonds within a salt crystal may be quite strong. However, if a crystal of salt is dissolved in water, each of the individual ions becomes surrounded by water molecules, which inhibit oppositely charged ions from approaching one another closely enough to form ionic bonds." Each water molecule has a permanent dipole, meaning that one end is always slightly positively charged and the other end is always slightly negatively charged. The charged ends of the water molecules are so strongly attracted to the charged ions in the salt crystal that the water destroys the solid lattice structure of the salt and each sodium and chlorine ion becomes surrounded by a layer of sticky water molecules. In chemistry, we say the salt has been dissolved by the water. It's like a rock band exiting the limousine into a crowd of fans and becoming separated as each band member gets surrounded by his own circle of fans. If the atoms in solid salt were not ionized to begin with, the water would not do such a good job dissolving the salt.

Topics: atom, atoms, dissolve, electron, ionize, ions, salt, solution, water

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Category: Chemistry      Published: September 23, 2013 
   Public Domain Image, source: Christopher S. Baird.
Dissolving a salt molecule in water does not make its atoms ionize. The atoms in solid salts are already ionized long before touching water.
Electrons in an atom can only take on specific wave states, and only one electron can occupy one wave state at a time. As a result, electrons in an atom take different states, starting from the lowest energy state and going upwards in energy until the electrons have all found distinct states. For various reasons that are not worth mentioning here, electron states in atoms tend to form various groups, with the states in the same group having very similar energies and states. Chemists call these groups of electron states "shells", even though they have nothing to do with literal shells.
The interesting thing is that an atom with completely filled shells is very stable (all the available states in each group are occupied by electrons). On the other hand, an atom with its outermost shell only partially filled has a strong tendency to steal, lose, or share electrons from other atoms in order to fill its outermost shell and become stable. Such atoms are therefore chemically reactive. A well-known salt is sodium chloride (table salt), so let's use it as an example. A single neutral sodium atom has eleven electrons. Ten of these electrons fill states such that they form complete shells. The eleventh electron of sodium, however, is alone in the outermost, partially filled shell. Electrons are bound in atoms because their negative electric charge experiences electric attraction to the positive charge of the atom's nucleus. But for sodium, the negatively-charged electrons in the inner, completed shells do a good job of blocking, or screening, the attractive force of the nucleus on the eleventh electron. As a result, the eleventh electron of sodium is loosely bound to the atom and is ripe for being stolen by a more powerful atom.
In contrast, chlorine (17 electrons) has all of its shells filled with electrons except for its outermost shell which is one electron short of being complete. There is a very strong attraction by the chlorine atom on an outside electron which is needed to complete its shell. Sodium and chlorine are therefore a perfect match. Sodium has one electron it is not holding onto very strongly, and chlorine is looking for one more electron to steal to fill its shell. As a result, a pure sample of sodium reacts strongly with a pure sample of chlorine and the end product is table salt. Each chlorine atom steals an electron from the sodium atom. Each sodium atom now has 11 positive protons and 10 negative electrons, for a net charge of +1. Each chlorine atom now has 17 positive protons and 18 negative electrons for a net charge of -1. The atoms have therefore been ionized by the reaction that forms solid table salt, all without the presence of water. Both the sodium and the chlorine ions now have completely filled shells and are therefore stable. This is a good example of an atom that naturally has an unequal number of electron and protons.
The net positive sodium ion is now attracted to the net negative chlorine ion and this attraction forms what we call an "ionic bond". But, in reality, we don't have just one sodium ion sticking to ion chlorine ion. Instead, a lattice of many sodium ions ionically bonds to a lattice of chlorine ions, and we end up with a crystalline solid. Each sodium ion in the crystalline lattice of table salt is bound to the 6 nearest chlorine ions, and the same goes for each chlorine ion. The atoms in table salt are therefore already in the ionized state.
Adding water does not ionize the atoms in salt, because they are already ionized. Instead, the water molecules stick to the already formed ions in the salt. The textbook titled Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments by Gerald Karp states, "A crystal of table salt is held together by an electrostatic attraction between positively charged Na+ and negatively charged Cl– ions. This type of attraction between fully charged components is called an ionic bond (or a salt bridge). Ionic bonds within a salt crystal may be quite strong. However, if a crystal of salt is dissolved in water, each of the individual ions becomes surrounded by water molecules, which inhibit oppositely charged ions from approaching one another closely enough to form ionic bonds." Each water molecule has a permanent dipole, meaning that one end is always slightly positively charged and the other end is always slightly negatively charged. The charged ends of the water molecules are so strongly attracted to the charged ions in the salt crystal that the water destroys the solid lattice structure of the salt and each sodium and chlorine ion becomes surrounded by a layer of sticky water molecules. In chemistry, we say the salt has been dissolved by the water. It's like a rock band exiting the limousine into a crowd of fans and becoming separated as each band member gets surrounded by his own circle of fans. If the atoms in solid salt were not ionized to begin with, the water would not do such a good job dissolving the salt.
Topics: 
atom, atoms, dissolve, electron, ionize, ions, salt, solution, water
How does dissolving a salt molecule in water make its atoms ionize?
https://www.wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/09/23/how-does-dissolving-a-salt-molecule-in-water-make-its-atoms-ionize/