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/ Sodium Chloride )]] A salt, in Chemistry , is defined as the product formed from the neutralisation reaction of Acids and Bases . Salts are Ionic Compounds composed of Cation s (positively Charged ions) and Anion s (negative ions) so that the product is electrically Neutral (without a net charge). These component ions can be Inorganic such as chloride (Cl−), as well as Organic such as acetate (CH3COO−) and Monoatomic Ion s such as fluoride (F−), as well as Polyatomic Ion s such as sulfate (SO42−). There are several varieties of salts. Salts that produce Hydroxide ions when dissolved in water are '' Basic Salts '' and salts that produce Hydronium ions in water '' Acid Salt s''. ''Neutral salts'' are those that are neither acid nor basic salts. Zwitterion s contain an anionic center and a cationic center in the same Molecule but are not considered to be salts. Examples include Amino Acid s, many Metabolite s, Peptide s and Proteins . When salts are dissolved in water, they are called Electrolyte s, and are able to conduct Electricity , a property that is shared with molten salts. 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. APPEARANCE . ]] Color Salts can appear to be clear and Transparent ( Sodium Chloride ), Opaque , and even metallic and lustrous ( Iron Disulfide ). In many cases the apparent Opacity or Transparency are only related to the difference in size of the individual Monocrystal s. Since light reflects from the Grain Boundaries (boundaries between crystallites), larger Crystal s tend to be transparent, while Poly-crystalline Aggregates look like white powders. Of course, some salts are inherently Opaque . Salts exist in all different Color s, e.g. Yellow (sodium Chromate ), Orange ( Potassium Dichromate ), Red ( Mercury Sulfide ), Mauve ( Cobalt Chloride hexahydrate), Blue ( Copper Sulfate pentahydrate, Ferric Hexacyanoferrate ), Green ( Nickel Oxide ), colorless ( Magnesium Sulfate ), White , 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 ; but which will cause lead poisoning if ingested), sour ( Potassium Bitartrate ), Bitter ( Magnesium Sulfate ), and Umami or savory ( Monosodium Glutamate ). Odor Salts of strong acids and strong bases (" Strong Salts ") are non- Volatile and odorless, while salts of either weak acids or weak bases (" Weak Salts ") may smell after the Conjugate Acid (e.g. acetates like acetic acid ( Vinegar ) and cyanides like hydrogen cyanide ( Almond s) or the conjugate base (e.g. ammonium salts like Ammonia ) of the component ions. That slow, partial decomposition is usually accelerated by presence of water, since Hydrolysis is the other half of the Reversible Reaction equation of formation of Weak Salts . 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
SEE ALSO
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