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.

NaCN

Answer 1

The sodium ion does not undergo appreciable acid or base ionization and has no effect on the solution pH.

CN- is a conjugate base of a weak acid.

Base ionization (or base hydrolysis) reaction is:

CN^-(aq) + H₂O(l) ⇔ HCN(aq) + OH^-(aq)

Due to the presence of OH^- ions the solution is basic