Which of the following is a salt?

Which of the following is a salt?

• A. H2SO4
• B. HCl
• C. NaCl
• D. CO2

Answer: (C)

Salts are ionic compounds made of positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions). They often form when an acid and a base react, producing a salt and water as products; the key feature is the combination of ions rather than a covalent molecule. Sodium chloride fits perfectly: it consists of Na+ ions and Cl− ions arranged in an ionic lattice, a classic example of a salt. The other items are not salts—sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid are acids, and carbon dioxide is a covalent molecule. Therefore, the salt is sodium chloride.

Salts are ionic compounds made of positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions). They often form when an acid and a base react, producing a salt and water as products; the key feature is the combination of ions rather than a covalent molecule. Sodium chloride fits perfectly: it consists of Na+ ions and Cl− ions arranged in an ionic lattice, a classic example of a salt. The other items are not salts—sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid are acids, and carbon dioxide is a covalent molecule. Therefore, the salt is sodium chloride.