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/ Sodium Chloride )]] In Chemistry , a salt is any Ionic Compound composed of positively Charged Cation s and negatively charged Anion s so that the product is Neutral and without a net charge. These ions can be Inorganic (Cl − ) as well as Organic (CH 3 −COO− ) and monoatomic (F− ) as well as Polyatomic Ion s (SO 4 2− ). Salts are formed (as well as water) when Acids and Bases react. Solutions of salts in water are called Electrolyte s. Electrolytes as well as molten salts conduct Electricity . Zwitterion s are salts that contain an anionic center and a cationic center in the same Molecule ; examples include Amino Acid s, many Metabolite s, Peptide s and Proteins . Mixtures of many different ions in solution like in the Cytoplasm of Cell s, in Blood , Urine , plant saps and Mineral Water s usually do not form defined salts after evaporation of the water. Therefore, their salt content is given for the respective ions. Normal salt is salt that does not contain a hydroxide ion (OH−) or a hydrogen ion (H+). Salts that contain a hydroxide ion are ''' Basic Salts ''' and salts that contain a hydrogen ion are ''' Acid Salt s'''. Impure salt is a name for salt which has lost its saltiness. It can also refer to Natron . Salt can be dehydrating to the human body if consumed in excess. HISTORY See Also: History of salt The first registers of salt use were produced around 4000 B.C. (roughly) in Egypt , Greece and Rome . Salt was very valuable and used to preserve foods. In Ancient Rome , salt started to be used as Money originating the current Latin -derivative term '' Salary ''. Payments to Roman Worker s were made in salt. Salt was also given to the parents of the Groom in marriage until the 8th Century . The Phoenicians (modern day Lebanese ) were the first people to harvest salt from the sea. They sold it to other civilizations and most of the time it cost more than gold (Citation needed). The Phoenicians were victims of their success and as a result of harvesting the salt from the sea, the value of salt depreciated. The Phoenicians harvested the salt by flooding plains of land with seawater, then leaving the plains to dry. After the water dried, the salt which was left was collected and sold. APPEARANCE Consistency Salts are usually solid Crystal s with a relatively high Melting Point . However, there exist salts that are liquid at room temperature, so-called Ionic Liquid s. Inorganic salts usually have a low hardness and a low compressibility, similar to Edible Salt . Color Salts can be clear and Transparent (sodium chloride), Opaque ( Titanium Dioxide ), and even metallic and lustrous ( Iron Disulfide ). Salts exist in all different Color s, e.g. Yellow (sodium Chromate ), Orange (sodium Dichromate ), Red ( Mercury Sulfide ), Mauve ( Cobalt dichloride hexahydrate), Blue ( Copper Sulfate pentahydrate, Ferric Hexacyanoferrate ), Green ( Nickel oxide), colorless ( Magnesium Sulfate ), White ( Titanium Dioxide ), and Black ( Manganese Dioxide ). Most Minerals and inorganic Pigment s as well as many synthetic organic Dye s are salts. Taste Different salts can elicit all five Basic Taste s, e.g. salty (sodium chloride), sweet ( Lead diacetate), sour ( Potassium Bitartrate ), Bitter ( Magnesium Sulfate ), and Umami or savory ( Monosodium Glutamate ). Odor Pure salts are odorless, while impure salts may smell after the acid (e.g. acetates like acetic acid ( Vinegar ), cyanides like hydrogen cyanide ( Almond s)) or the base (e.g. ammonium salts like Ammonia ). NOMENCLATURE 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'' or ''acetate''). Common salt-forming cations include:
Common salt-forming anions (and the name of the parent acids in parentheses) include:
FORMATION Salts are formed by a Chemical Reaction between: Salts can also form if solutions of different salts are mixed, their ions recombine, and the new salt is insoluble and precipitates (see: Solubility Equilibrium ). REFERENCES
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