Question

Sodium Acetate has a pH of 7.
A.True
B.False

Answer 1

Hint: It is important to note that sodium acetate is a salt which is made up of sodium hydroxide (a strong base) and acetic acid (a weak acid). And when a strong base and weak acid the resultant salt is basic in nature.

Complete step by step answer:
We are now going to discuss the question in an elaborate manner:
Firstly it is important to note down the constituents from which sodium acetate is made up of i.e., a strong base (sodium hydroxide) and a weak acid (acetic acid). The reaction for the synthesis of sodium acetate is:
$NaOH + CH_3COOH \to CH_3COONa + H_2O$
NaOH begins as a strong base that extracts hydrogen ions from the acetic acid. Hydrogen ion together with hydroxide ion forms water and sodium ion gets attached to negatively charged acetate ion forming sodium acetate.
As we all are aware such a salt will be basic in nature.
Now, on the pH scale basic substances have a pH of more than 7 while neutral species will have a pH of 7
In this way we can conclude that the pH of sodium acetate will be more than 7 and not 7. Which means the statement, ‘Sodium acetate has a pH of 7’ is False.

Hence, option B is the correct answer.


Additional information:
A salt resulting from a reaction between a strong acid and a strong base will be neutral in nature. For e.g., NaCl is made up of a strong acid (HCl) and a strong base (NaOH) and is neutral in nature having a pH of 7.
A salt made up due to reaction between a strong acid and weak base is acidic in nature. For e.g. Ferric chlorides, Zinc chlorides etc. both of them are the salts of strong acid and have a pH less than 7.
And lastly the salt of a strong base and a weak acid will be basic in nature as we have discussed in this question.
It is important to note here that weak acids and weak bases do not react to each other because they are not able to ionise each other.


Note:
Please note that on a pH scale (at room temperature) species with a pH of 7are said to be neutral, those with a pH value more than 7 are basic in nature and those having pH values less than 7 are said to be acidic in nature.