Salts

Ionic compounds that can be formed by replacing one or more of the hydrogen ions of an acid with another positive ion. However, salts may be more usefully considered as ionic compounds in which the ionizable hydrogen ions of an acid have been replaced by either metal or ammonium ions. A monoprotic acid, such as ethanoic acid, has one ionizable hydrogen, and so can only form a neutral salt: by contrast, a diprotic acid, such as carbonic acid, has two ionizable hydrogens, and so forms both neutral and acid salts. In general, neutral salts are less soluble in water but more thermally stable than their acid analogs.

See also: Acid, Compound.