Determine if the following salt is neutral, acidic or basic.

Question

Determine if the following salt is neutral, acidic or basic. If acidic or basic, write the appropriate equilibrium equation for the acid or base that exists when the salt is dissolved in aqueous solution. If neutral, simply write only NR. Be sure to include the proper phases for all species within the reaction.

CaCl₂

Answer 1

CaCl2 in water breaks up into Ca2+ and Cl-

Ca2+ is the conjugate acid of the strong base Ca(OH)2

Cl- is the conjugate base of the strong acid HCl

since both the cation and the anion are conjugates of strong acids/bases, overall the salt is neutral