Question

Why does sulphuric acid form two types of salts with n a o h?

Answer 1

Sulphuric acid is diprotic acid i.e. its one molecule can donate 2 H+

ions. Monosubstituted salt is called metal bisulphate or metal hydrogen sulphate. Disubstituted salt is called metal sulphate.

Formation of salts depends on the equivalent of alkali metal reacting with H2SO4

.

For example,

NaOH+H2SO4→NaHSO4+H2O

2NaOH+H2SO4→Na2SO4+2H2O

You might have understood by above reactions what do I want to say. In first reaction, only one equivalent of caustic soda(NaOH) is reacting with sulphuric acid which gives monosubstituted salt, while in second reaction, two equivalents of caustic soda react with sulphuric acid to give disubstituted salt.

Thus alkali metals give 2 kind of salts with H2SO4

.