Is Epsom salt acidic or alkaline?

Answer 1

Epsom salt is a salt. It is a byproduct of neutralization, where an acid and a alkaline is put together and neutralized. The byproduct of this chemical reaction is a salt. Therefore it should normally have a pH of 0, making it neither an acid nor an alkaline

Answer 2

When looking at acids or bases, one should always ask if a particular compound is a proton acceptor (base) or a proton donor (acid)

Epsom salt is Magnesium sulfate MgSO4, or the hydrated form (MgSO4·7H2O).

The sulfate, of course, looks a lot like sulfuric acid (H2SO4).

Since it is an ionic compound, you can divide it as:

(Mg2+)(SO42-)

This would be the conjugate base of sulfuric acid, or a proton acceptor.

Thus, it is a base, and not an acid.

Answer 3

Table salt is a salt.