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salt
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Cluster of translucent, white salt crystals with sharp cubic shapes viewed under a microscope at high magnification against a dark background.
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Cluster of translucent, white salt crystals with sharp cubic shapes viewed under a microscope at high magnification against a dark background.
salt Salt crystal magnified.

salt

acid-base reactions
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salt, in chemistry, substance produced by the reaction of an acid with a base. A salt consists of the positive ion (cation) of a base and the negative ion (anion) of an acid. The reaction between an acid and a base is called a neutralization reaction. The term salt is also used to refer specifically to common table salt, or sodium chloride. When in solution or the molten state, most salts are completely dissociated into negatively and positively charged ions and are good electrolytes (conductors of electricity).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.