Salt Hydrolysis

When an acid reacts with a base, a salt and water are formed -- neutralisation. Salts dissociate completely in water into their constituent ions, which are themselves hydrated; in some cases the cation, the anion, or both then react further with water, a reaction called salt hydrolysis -- effectively the reverse of neutralisation. Whether hydrolysis occurs, and whether it makes the solution acidic, basic or neutral, depends on the rela …