Salts of strong acids tend to form solutions with what pH

Can someone answer this for me?

Salts of strong acids tend to form solutions with pH

a. less than 7
b. equal to 7
c. greater than 7
d. greater than 10

I thought the answer was less than 7, but that's incorrect.

first of all salts are produced by an acid and a base
and
since ur question is complete so there are two possibilities

1)if the salt is made of 'strong acid' and 'strong base'

think of a strong acid , HCl
think of a stong base , NaOH
combine them (and remove the H and OH) , u get NaCl

now if u make a solution out of NaCl it will only ioniZe , and do "nothing!"
NaCl + H2O ---> (Na+) + (Cl-) + (H+) + (OH-)
[H+ and Oh- may combine back to form H2O , and Na+ and Cl- do nothing! , thats why they are called spectator ions. THey do nothing becoz they come from strong acid and base. Similary SO4from strong acid and K+ from a strong base wont do anything or wont react... ]

Hence if u have a salt made of strong acid and strong base then the solution will be neutral!


2) if salt is made from strong acid and 'weak base"

again , think of a strong acid , HCl (it cud also be H2SO4 or whatever)
think of a weak base , NH4OH
make a salt outta it by removing H and OH , u get NH4Cl

now if u make a solution outta it ,
NH4Cl + H20 ------> NH4+ + Cl- + H+ + OH-

(now Cl- comes from a strong acid so it wont react but NH4+ comes from a weak base so it will react with OH- )
NH4Cl + H20 -------> NH4OH + Cl- + H+

(now in the solution , OH- is being mixed up with NH4 but H+ is still there , and due to H+ ions the solution becomes acidic or the pH become less than 7)





RESULTS!
if salt is made of strong acid and strong base then answer is "b. equal to 7"

if salt if made of strong acid and weak base then answer is " a .less than 7"

if the salt is made of a stong acid and a weak base, I would also answer "less than 7" (ex: NH4Cl)

if the salt is made of a srong acid and a stong base, then the correct answer woould be " pH equal to 7" (example: NaCl)