Question

A solution of sodium chloride will turn:
A. Red litmus blue
B. Blue litmus red
C. Red litmus orange
D. No change in color of either red or blue litmus

Answer 1

Sodium chloride is an ionic compound in which the sodium and chloride ions are in the ratio of $1:1$. It is commonly called table salt, common salt or halite (the mineral form of common salt). It is the salt which is mainly responsible for the salinity of seawater and for the extracellular fluid which is present in many multicellular organisms.

Complete step by step answer:
Sodium chloride finds its application from household to industrial processes. Seawater is a major source of this salt. The chemical formula of sodium chloride is NaCl. Its crystals are as shown:

Thus, sodium and chloride respond together to generate a substance that is familiar to nearly everybody in the globe i.e. sodium chloride or table salt or common salt.
The reaction is as shown:
$2Na(s) + C{l_2} \to 2NaCl(s)$
However, a solution of sodium chloride does not show any change towards the litmus paper. This is because sodium chloride is a salt and an ionic compound and it is neither a base or an acid. It is formed from the neutralization of HCl by NaOH. Hence, the solution of NaCl in water has no acidic or basic properties, since neither ion is capable of hydrolyzing.

Hence, option D is correct.

Note:
In its aqueous state, NaCl acts as a good conductor of electricity due to the free movement of the ions. It has a melting point of ${801^ \circ }C$ and a boiling point of ${1413^ \circ }C$. Moreover, in cold countries, it is used to prevent the build-up of ice on roads, bridges etc. which further results in safe driving conditions.