salze

Salze (salts) are chemical compounds composed of positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions) held together by ionic bonds. They form when acids react with bases, or when ions combine in solution and crystallize as solids. In nature they occur widely as minerals, such as halite (sodium chloride) and gypsum (calcium sulfate), and they are manufactured for industrial and everyday use.

Salze range from simple binary salts, consisting of one cation and one anion, to complex salts that contain polyatomic ions or metal complexes. Common binary examples include NaCl, KBr, and CaCO3, while complex salts include ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) and many organic salts derived from amines or carboxylate ions.

Key properties include high lattice energy and high melting points in the solid state, and conductivity when molten or dissolved in water. Solubility varies widely: some salts are highly soluble, others sparingly so. Water solutions can be neutral, acidic, or basic depending on hydrolysis and the ions involved; some salts form hydrated crystals.

Salze form through several pathways, most notably neutralization: acid + base → salt + water. Metathesis or precipitation reactions can yield insoluble salts. Solubility products (Ksp) describe when salts precipitate from solution and guide synthesis and purification.

Industrially important salts include table salt (sodium chloride), calcium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, and potassium nitrate, used in food, construction, fertilizers, and propellants. In geology, many salts occur as evaporite minerals. Safety varies by salt; some are harmless, while others are toxic if ingested or inhaled.