As a chemistry expert, I'm often asked about the properties of various compounds and their behavior in solution. The question at hand is about lithium bromide, or
LiBr, and whether it is acidic, basic, or neutral when dissolved in water.
To address this, we must first understand the concept of salt hydrolysis. When salts dissolve in water, the cation and anion can interact with the water molecules. If the cation or anion reacts with water to produce hydrogen ions (H+) or hydroxide ions (OH-), the solution can become acidic or basic, respectively. If neither ion reacts significantly with water, the solution remains neutral.
Lithium bromide is a salt derived from lithium hydroxide, a strong base, and hydrobromic acid, a strong acid. Both lithium and bromide ions are the conjugate bases of strong acids and bases, respectively. When LiBr dissolves in water, the lithium ion (Li+) and the bromide ion (Br-) are formed. Neither of these ions is likely to undergo hydrolysis to a significant extent because they are the conjugate bases of strong acids and bases.
The lithium ion (Li+) is a small, highly charged cation that does not readily accept a proton from water to form an acid. Similarly, the bromide ion (Br-) is the conjugate base of hydrobromic acid, which is a strong acid, and thus Br- does not readily donate a proton to water to form hydroxide ions. As a result, when LiBr is dissolved in water, it does not significantly affect the concentration of H3O+ or OH- ions in the solution, and the solution remains neutral.
This is in line with the information provided, which states that salts like NaCl, KNO3, and LiBr form neutral solutions. These salts are derived from strong acids and strong bases, and their ions do not undergo significant hydrolysis when dissolved in water.
In conclusion, lithium bromide (LiBr) is a salt that forms a neutral solution when dissolved in water. The ions it produces, Li+ and Br-, do not significantly react with water to produce H3O+ or OH- ions, thus maintaining the neutrality of the solution.
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