Question 374 marksSection E

Salts play a very important role in our daily life. Sodium chloride which is known as common salt is used almost in every kitchen. Baking soda is also a salt used in faster cooking as well as in baking industry. The family of salts is classified on the basis of cations and anions present in them.

(a) Identify the acid and base from which Sodium chloride is formed. (1 mark)

(b) Find the cation and the anion present in Calcium sulphate. (1 mark)

(c) "Sodium chloride and washing soda both belong to the same family of salts." Justify this statement. (2 marks)

OR

(c) Define the term pH scale. Name the salt obtained by the reaction of Potassium hydroxide and Sulphuric acid and give the pH value of its aqueous solution. (2 marks)

Acids, Bases and Salts
Salts and pH Scale

Official answer

Detailed answers for each sub-question:


(a) Sodium chloride (NaClNaCl) is formed from the reaction of hydrochloric acid (HClHCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOHNaOH).


(b) In Calcium sulphate (CaSO4CaSO_4), the cation is the calcium ion (Ca2+Ca^{2+}) and the anion is the sulphate ion (SO42−SO_4^{2-}).


(c) Sodium chloride (NaClNaCl) and washing soda (Na2CO3Na_2CO_3) both belong to the same family of salts because they share the same positive radical (cation), which is the sodium ion (Na+Na^+). Salts containing the same cation or anion are classified under the same family.


OR


(c)

  • pH Scale: A scale developed for measuring hydrogen ion concentration in a solution is called the pH scale. The 'p' in pH stands for 'potenz', which means power in German. The scale ranges from 0 (highly acidic) to 14 (highly alkaline), with 7 being neutral.
  • Salt formed: The reaction between potassium hydroxide (KOHKOH) and sulphuric acid (H2SO4H_2SO_4) produces potassium sulphate (K2SO4K_2SO_4) and water:

2KOH(aq)+H2SO4(aq)→K2SO4(aq)+2H2O(l)2KOH(aq) + H_2SO_4(aq) \rightarrow K_2SO_4(aq) + 2H_2O(l)

  • pH value: Since potassium sulphate is a salt of a strong base (KOHKOH) and a strong acid (H2SO4H_2SO_4), it is a neutral salt. Therefore, the pH value of its aqueous solution is 77.
Answer keywords:hydrochloric acidsodium hydroxidecalcium ionsulphate ionsodium familypH scalepotassium sulphatepH 7

Marking scheme

  1. 1.For (a): 1 mark for identifying Hydrochloric acid (HClHCl) and Sodium hydroxide (NaOHNaOH).
  2. 2.For (b): 0.5 mark for identifying Calcium ion (Ca2+Ca^{2+}) as the cation and 0.5 mark for Sulphate ion (SO42−SO_4^{2-}) as the anion.
  3. 3.For (c): 1 mark for stating that both contain the sodium ion (Na+Na^+) and 1 mark for explaining that salts with the same positive radical belong to the same family.
  4. 4.OR
  5. 5.For alternative (c): 1 mark for defining the pH scale, 0.5 mark for naming Potassium sulphate (K2SO4K_2SO_4), and 0.5 mark for stating the pH value as 7.

Hint

For (a), think of the acid and base that react to form common salt. For (b), split calcium sulphate into its positive and negative ions. For (c), look at the common metal ion in both formulas. For the OR option, recall that strong acid + strong base gives a neutral salt.

Quick oral answer

Sodium chloride is formed from hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. Potassium sulphate is a neutral salt with a pH of 7 because it is formed from a strong acid (H2SO4H_2SO_4) and a strong base (KOHKOH).

Common mistakes

  1. 1.Students often write the formula of ions without charges (e.g., writing CaCa instead of Ca2+Ca^{2+} or SO4SO_4 instead of SO42−SO_4^{2-}).
  2. 2.In the OR option, some students might write the pH of potassium sulphate as acidic or basic, forgetting that it is formed from a strong acid and a strong base, making it neutral.

Analysis and explanation

This case-based question tests the student's understanding of the classification of salts, their parent acids and bases, and the concept of pH.


  • Part (a) requires identifying the reactants of a classic neutralization reaction that yields common salt (NaClNaCl).
  • Part (b) tests the ability to identify ionic species in a given salt formula (CaSO4CaSO_4).
  • Part (c) tests the concept of 'families of salts', which are grouped by common cations or anions. Both NaClNaCl and Na2CO3Na_2CO_3 contain Na+Na^+ ions, making them sodium salts.
  • The alternative Part (c) tests the definition of the pH scale and the neutralization of a strong acid (H2SO4H_2SO_4) with a strong base (KOHKOH) to form a neutral salt (K2SO4K_2SO_4) with a pH of 7.

Interesting facts

Washing soda and baking soda are both sodium-based salts that are manufactured using sodium chloride as a starting raw material in the Solvay process.

Question details

Q37 of 39 questions

Board
CBSE
Class
Class 10
Subject
Science
Year
2024
Section
Section E
Marks
4
Chapter
Acids, Bases and Salts
Topic
Salts and pH Scale
Bloom's level
Applying
Syllabus topic
Concept of pH scale, Importance of pH in everyday life; Preparation and uses of Sodium Hydroxide, Bleaching powder, Baking soda, Washing soda and Plaster of Paris.

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Frequently asked questions

How many marks does this question carry in CBSE Class 10 Science 2024?

This question carries 4 marks in the CBSE Class 10 Science 2024 examination.

Which chapter does this question come from in Science?

This question is from the chapter "Acids, Bases and Salts" in the CBSE Class 10 Science syllabus.

What topic does this question cover in Science?

This question covers the topic "Salts and pH Scale" from CBSE Class 10 Science.

What type of question is this in the CBSE Class 10 Science 2024 paper?

This question appears in Section E in the CBSE Class 10 Science 2024 paper.