What is the ph of sodium acetate?

As a chemistry tutor, I explain this to students all the time. Sodium acetate (CH₃COONa) is the salt of a weak acid (acetic acid) and a strong base (sodium hydroxide). When it dissolves, the acetate ions (CH₃COO⁻) react with water: CH₃COO⁻ + H₂O ⇌ CH₃COOH + OH⁻. This produces hydroxide ions, making the solution basic. For a 0.1 M solution, the pH is approximately 8.87. It's a great example of how salt solutions aren't always neutral - it depends on which acid and base formed them.

Sodium acetate is a salt formed from a weak acid (acetic acid) and a strong base (sodium hydroxide). Its aqueous solution is slightly basic. The pH usually falls in the range of 8 to 9 depending on concentration. So, if you dissolve sodium acetate in water, don’t expect it to be neutral—it will be mildly alkaline.

Sodium acetate solutions are actually basic, with a pH typically around 8-9 depending on the concentration. It's the salt formed when acetic acid (from vinegar) reacts with sodium hydroxide. When dissolved in water, it undergoes hydrolysis - the acetate ions react with water to produce hydroxide ions, which makes the solution basic. This is why it's often used as a buffer in chemistry labs to maintain stable pH levels in solutions. The exact pH varies with concentration, but it's always on the basic side of the pH scale!