Question

Is $KCl$ basic?

Answer 1

First we know $KCl$ means Potassium Chloride. We know that when acid react with water it releases ${H^ + }$ and the amount of ${H^ + }$ release will determine its strength and when the base react with water it will release $O{H^ - }$ . So, in this question we try to write a reaction for $KCl$ then we will conclude about its nature.

Complete answer:
First we will know how the base reacts with water:
When a base is dissolved in water, it produces the $O{H^ - }$ ion. Let's look at how water reacts with sodium hydroxide ($NaOH$ ). In the presence of water, $NaOH$ creates the $O{H^ - }$ ion.
Potassium chloride is a salt of strong acid ( $HCl$ ) and strong base ($KOH$ ). When it is dissolved in water, it shows the following reaction.
$KCl + {H_2}O \to KOH + HCl$
Ionic reaction according to ionic theory can be given as,
${K^ + } + C{l^ - } + {\text{ }}{H_2}O \to {K^ + }{\text{ + }}O{H^ - }{\text{ + }}{H^ + } + C{l^ - }$
Common ions from both sides get cancelled, we get
${H_2}O \to {H^ + } + O{H^ - }$
As the solution contains an equal number of ${H^ + }$ and $O{H^ - }$ ions, an aqueous solution of potassium chloride is neutral in nature.
So, we can $KCl$ is neutral in nature.

Note:
Potassium chloride ($KCl$ ) is a water-soluble chemical that is commonly used to prevent or treat a variety of etiologies of significant potassium loss (Hypokalemia). It is vital to reduce the effects of $KCl$ while prolonging their effect by employing an efficient sustained release dosage type. Potassium availability limits the growth of many plants, hence the bulk of potassium chloride generated is used to make fertilizer known as potash. Muriatic potash is the name given to potassium chloride sold as fertilizer (MOP). MOP is the most common type of potash fertilizer sold around the world.