Ammonium chloride
Ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) is an ionic salt composed of ammonium and chloride ions. It dissolves readily in water and is also called sal ammoniac.
Ammonium ion: The polyatomic cation NH₄⁺, formed when ammonia accepts a proton. It is the positively charged ion in ammonium chloride.
Dissolution: The process by which a solute disperses as particles in a solvent. Water separates ammonium chloride into hydrated ammonium and chloride ions.
Soldering flux: A material used during soldering to remove oxides and help molten solder wet a surface. Ammonium chloride flux helps clean metal surfaces during soldering.
Sal ammoniac: The historical name for ammonium chloride, used in alchemy, trade, and chemistry. It is the traditional name by which ammonium chloride was historically known.
Ammonium nitrate: An ionic compound, NH₄NO₃, composed of ammonium and nitrate ions. It shares the ammonium cation but has nitrate instead of chloride.
Chloride: The negatively charged chlorine ion, Cl⁻, found in salts and aqueous solutions. It is the counterion that balances ammonium’s charge.
Hydrolysis of ammonium: The reaction of NH₄⁺ with water that produces NH₃ and H₃O⁺. This equilibrium makes an ammonium chloride solution mildly acidic.
Dry cell: An electrochemical cell whose electrolyte is immobilized in a paste or other nonflowing medium. Ammonium chloride has served as an electrolyte in zinc–carbon dry cells.
Ammonia: A colorless compound, NH₃, consisting of nitrogen and hydrogen. Ammonia is a source of the ammonium ion and a product of the salt’s thermal dissociation.
Ammonium sulfate: An ionic compound, (NH₄)₂SO₄, containing ammonium and sulfate ions. Its sulfate anion gives it a different formula and chemical behavior.