A water solution of a compound turns litmus red. Which compound is this?

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Multiple Choice

A water solution of a compound turns litmus red. Which compound is this?

Explanation:
Litmus turning red means the solution is acidic. When ammonium sulfate dissolves, it splits into ammonium ions and sulfate ions. The ammonium ion is a weak acid in water; it donates a proton to form hydronium, making the solution more acidic. The sulfate ion is a very weak base and doesn’t offset that acidity, so the overall solution remains acidic. That’s why litmus turns red. The other salts don’t produce an acidic solution: sodium sulfate comes from a strong acid and strong base and is essentially neutral; sodium bicarbonate creates a mildly basic solution; potassium cyanide hydrolyzes to form hydroxide and makes the solution basic.

Litmus turning red means the solution is acidic. When ammonium sulfate dissolves, it splits into ammonium ions and sulfate ions. The ammonium ion is a weak acid in water; it donates a proton to form hydronium, making the solution more acidic. The sulfate ion is a very weak base and doesn’t offset that acidity, so the overall solution remains acidic. That’s why litmus turns red. The other salts don’t produce an acidic solution: sodium sulfate comes from a strong acid and strong base and is essentially neutral; sodium bicarbonate creates a mildly basic solution; potassium cyanide hydrolyzes to form hydroxide and makes the solution basic.

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