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dibasic salt

dibasic salt

6.5
A salt made by replacing two hydrogen atoms in an acid with metal atoms
  • noun
  • /ˈdaɪˌbeɪsɪk sɔlt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sal dibásica
  • When two hydrogens in sulfuric acid are replaced by metals, a dibasic salt is formed.

Examples

  • Sodium carbonate is an example of a dibasic salt used in water softening.

  • A dibasic salt can be formed by neutralizing a dibasic acid.

  • Chemists often classify salts as monobasic, dibasic salt, or tribasic based on the number of replaced hydrogens.

  • The solution contained various dibasic salts.

  • Sodium carbonate, a common dibasic salt, is often used in household cleaning products.

  • When calcium sulfate is formed from sulfuric acid, it is considered a dibasic salt due to the replacement of two hydrogen ions.

  • In chemistry classes, students learn how a dibasic salt can result from the reaction of a dibasic acid with a base.

Surface Forms

dibasic salt singular
dibasic salts plural

Morphology

dibasic + salt

The phrase cues a compositional reading: the prefix di- (two) + basic (acid–base sense) with salt suggests a salt related to two reactive sites, so a learner who knows chemical senses could infer a ‘two‑site’ salt. However, the exact technical sense (replacement of two specific hydrogen atoms in a dibasic acid) requires domain knowledge and is not fully predictable from general vocabulary, making it only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Dibasic salt comes from di- meaning 'two' and basic showing there are two hydrogen atoms in an acid that can be replaced. So, a dibasic salt is a salt made when those two hydrogen atoms are replaced by metal atoms.