What is meant by Sodium acetate is a basic salt?

Answer 1

Sodium acetate is called a basic salt because a solution of it in initially pure water has a pH value well above the neutral value of 7. This occurs because acetate ions when dissolved in water must come to an equilibrium in the ionic reaction C2H3O2-1 + H2O <-> C2H4O2 + OH-1 and sodium ions when dissolved in water must come to an equilibrium in the ionic reaction Na+1 + H2O <-> NaOH + H+1. Additionally, water itself must maintain an equilibrium in the ionic reaction H2O <-> H+1 + OH-1. The values of these three equilibrium constants are such that the net result is a higher concentration of hydroxide ions than of hydrogen ions in a solution of sodium acetate. These relative concentrations of hydroxide and hydrogen ions is the defining characteristic of a basic (or alkaline) aqueous solution: Such a relative concentration of hydroxide and of hydrogen ions, although not all the other characteristics of a sodium acetate solution, could be achieved by dissolving an appropriate amount of the base sodium hydroxide in initially pure water.