How do solutions of acidic salts behave in water?

Solutions of acidic salts behave in water by producing H3O+ ions, which is characteristic of their acidic nature. Acidic salts are formed from the neutralization of a strong acid with a weak base. When dissolved in water, these salts dissociate, and the cation of the acidic salt interacts with water molecules, leading to the release of H3O+ ions.

For example, if we consider ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), it dissociates into NH4+ and Cl- in solution. The NH4+ ion, being derived from a weak base (NH3), can accept a proton from water, resulting in the formation of H3O+ ions:

[ \text{NH}_4^+ + \text{H}_2\text{O} \rightleftharpoons \text{NH}_3 + \text{H}_3\text{O}^+ ]

This increase in H3O+ ions causes a decrease in pH, indicating an acidic solution. Therefore, choices that suggest the salt does not react with water or that it forms hydroxide ions are inconsistent with how acidic salts behave, as they do not contribute to an increase in pH or generate OH- ions,