Question #4589c

1 Answer
Stefan V.
Mar 18, 2015

The solution will be acidic.

You're dealing with dimethylammonium chloride, which will dissociate in aqueous solution into #(CH_3)_2NH_2^(+)# and #Cl^(-)#.

#(CH_3)_2NH_2Cl(aq) -> (CH_3)_2NH_2^(+)(aq) + Cl_((aq))^(-)#

Notice that the cation is the conjugate acid of a weak base, dimethylamine, #(CH_3)_2NH#, and the anion is the conjugate base of a strong acid, #HCl#.

This means that the reaction of interest, after dimethylammonium chloride dissociates, will be

#(CH_3)_2NH_2^(+)(aq) + H_2O_((l)) rightleftharpoons (CH_3)_2NH(aq) + H_3O_((aq))^(+)#

The reaction increases the concetration of hydronium ions, which in turn will make the solution acidic.

As a conclusion, look at the cations and anions that form your salt. In this case, you were dealing with an acid salt. Here's a link detailing the acid/base properties of salts

http://www2.onu.edu/~s-bates/chem172/ABSalts12.pdf

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