Question

What is the colour of ammonium chloride?
(A). Black
(B). White
(C). Blue
(D). Green

Answer 1

- Hint: Ammonium chloride is available as a powder in the market. The colour of ammonium chloride is the same colour as that of ammonium nitrate. Ammonium chloride is highly soluble in water.

Complete step-by-step solution -
The chemical formula of ammonium chloride is ${ { NH }_{ 4 } }Cl$. It is a crystalline solid. It is a salt that is available as a white powder.
Therefore, the colour of ammonium chloride is white. So, option B is correct.

Additional Information: Ammonium chloride is highly soluble in water and the process of dissolving ammonium chloride is endothermic i.e. it absorbs heat from the surrounding. It is mildly acidic when it is dissolved in water. This is due to the process of salt hydrolysis.
When we dissolve ammonium chloride in water it dissociates in water to form two ions: ${ { NH }_{ 4 } }^{ + }$ and ${ Cl }^{ - }$. Due to the addition of ammonium chloride into the water, the water molecule ( ${ H }_{ 2 }O$ ) also breaks into its constituent ions ${ H }^{ + }$ and ${ OH }^{ - }$. The ${ { NH }_{ 4 } }^{ + }$ ions attract the negatively charged ${ OH }^{ - }$ ions from water to form a weak alkali ${ { NH }_{ 4 } }OH$ while the ${ Cl }^{ - }$ ions attract the positively charged ${ H }^{ + }$ ions from water to form a strong acid HCl. This process is known as salt hydrolysis or hydrolysis of salt. The combination of a strong acid and a weak base makes the solution acidic.
Ammonium chloride is mainly used as a fertilizer. Apart from that, it is also used in the preparation of cough medicines.

Note: Don’t confuse ammonium chloride with liquor ammonia. Liquor ammonia is just an aqueous solution of ammonia. Its chemical formula is ${ { NH }_{ 4 } }OH$. While ammonium chloride contains chlorine ion and ammonium ion. Liquor ammonia is used in pharmaceutical companies for preparation of drugs.