Salts, Crystals and Their Uses in Daily Life

6.8

Salts, Crystals and Their Uses in Daily Life

Definition of salt

An ionic compound formed when the hydrogen ion, \(H^+\) from the acid, is replaced with the metal ion or the ammonium ion, \(NH_4\,^+\)

Physical properties of salts

Has flat surface, straight sides and sharp vertices
Has a fixed angle between two adjacent surfaces
Has a fixed geometrical shape such as cube, cuboid, rhombus and prism
Different crystals have different geometrical shapes
Same crystals of different sizes still have the same geometrical shapes

A crystal has specific properties because the particles in the crystal are arranged in a compact and orderly manner according to a specific design arrangement.

Examples of salts and their uses

Salt	Uses
Agriculture
Ammonium nitrate	Fertiliser
Iron(II) sulphate	Pesticide
Medicine
Calcium sulphate	Plaster of Paris- to support broken bones
Potassium manganate(VII)	Antiseptic to treat wounds
Food
Sodium chloride	Food flavouring
Sodium bicarbonate	Raising dough
Preservation
Sodium benzoate	Preserve chilli sauce
Sodium nitrate	Preserve processed meat (sausage)

Salts, Crystals and Their Uses in Daily Life

Physical properties of salts

Examples of salts and their uses

Chapter : Acids, Bases and Salts

Topic : Salts, Crystals and Their Uses in Daily Life

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