Why can ammonium sulfate be described as a salt?

A salt is an ionic compound which is made up of two groups of oppositely charged ions.
The overall compound of a salt compound must have an overall electrical charge of 0.
Ammonium sulfate, (NH4)2SO4, can be made by the reaction of ammonia, NH3 with sulfuric acid, H2SO4. 
Therefore, ammonium sulfate is described as a salt because the hydrogen ions, H^+, in sulfuric acid have been replaced by ammonium ions, NH4^+
And note: the charge of ammonium sulfate balance - NH4 has a +1 charge and SO4 has a 2- charge, therefore in the compund there are two lots of NH4+ [(NH4)2], to cancel out the 2- charge of the SO4 to equal 0.

CR
Answered by Chloe R. Chemistry tutor

29216 Views

See similar Chemistry GCSE tutors

Related Chemistry GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Compare and contrast the structures of Diamond and Magnesium in terms of the position and interactions of particles within the substance. Comment on how this is reflected in their properties.


Explain metallic bonding


explain ionic bonding in a giant ionic lattice?


Whats the difference between an ionic bond and a covalent bond?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning