Salt Definition - Glossary of Chemistry Terms

The word salt has different meanings in common usage and in chemistry. If you ask someone to pass the salt at dinner, this refers to table salt, which is sodium chloride or NaCl. In chemistry, sodium chloride is an example of a type of salt. A salt is an  ionic  compound produced by  reacting  an  acid  with a  base or occurring as a natural mineral. In other words, a salt is produced by a neutralization reaction. Examples A salt is an ionic compound in which the cation is a metal and anion is a nonmetal or group of nonmetals. Specific examples include sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), and copper sulfate (CuSO4). Other salts are magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), ammonium dichlorate, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).