What do basic salts produce when they react with water?

When basic salts are dissolved in water, they dissociate into their constituent ions. The key feature of basic salts is that they contain an anion derived from a weak acid. When these salts interact with water, the anion of the salt can react with water molecules in a process called hydrolysis.

In this hydrolysis reaction, the anion accepts a proton from water, leading to the formation of hydroxide ions (OH⁻). This increase in hydroxide ions in the solution raises the pH, making the solution basic.

For example, if you have sodium acetate (a basic salt), the acetate ion (the anion) will interact with water, resulting in an increase in hydroxide ions. This is why the product of basic salts reacting with water predominantly involves the generation of hydroxide ions, confirming that the correct answer is indeed a production of OH⁻ ions.

The other choices do not accurately reflect what occurs when basic salts react with water:

• H₃O⁺ ions would indicate an acidic solution, which is not the case with basic salts.

• Neutral molecules would imply no change in pH, which also does not happen as basic salts increase the pH.

• Unreacted ionic compounds suggest no dissolution in