Question

Which one of the following salts when dissolved in water makes the solution basic?

• A. Sodium chloride
• B. Copper sulphate
• C. Ferric chloride
• D. Sodium acetate

Hint:

Salts of textbfweak acids and strong bases always produce textbfbasic solutions in water due to hydrolysis.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Recall the rule for nature of salt solutions.

Salt of strong acid + strong base → neutral solution
Salt of strong acid + weak base → acidic solution
Salt of weak acid + strong base → basic solution
Step 2: Analyze each option.

Sodium chloride (NaCl) Formed from HCl (strong acid) and NaOH (strong base) → neutral solution
Copper sulphate (CuSO\(_4\)) Formed from H\(_2\)SO\(_4\) (strong acid) and Cu(OH)\(_2\) (weak base) → acidic solution
Ferric chloride (FeCl\(_3\)) Formed from HCl (strong acid) and Fe(OH)\(_3\) (weak base) → acidic solution
Sodium acetate (CH\(_3\)COONa) Formed from CH\(_3\)COOH (weak acid) and NaOH (strong base) → basic solution ✔
Step 3: Final conclusion. The salt that makes the solution basic when dissolved in water is sodium acetate. \[ \boxed{\text{(D)}} \]