The aqueous solution of `CH_3COONH_4` is neutral because

Options

A. `CH_3COO^(-)` ions are unable to interact with water
B. `NH_4^(+) ` ions are unable to interact with water.
C. both `NH_4^(+) and CH_3COO^(-)` are unable to interact with water
D. both ` NH_4^(+) and CH_3COO^(-) ` are able to interact heavily with water.

Answer

To understand why the aqueous solution of ammonium acetate (CH₃COONH₄) is neutral, we can break down the reasoning step by step:

### Step 1: Identify the Components
Ammonium acetate is a salt formed from the reaction of acetic acid (a weak acid) and ammonium hydroxide (a weak base).

### Step 2: Dissociation in Water
When ammonium acetate is dissolved in water, it dissociates into its constituent ions:
\[ CH₃COONH₄ \rightarrow CH₃COO^- + NH₄^+ \]
Here, \( CH₃COO^- \) is the acetate ion, and \( NH₄^+ \) is the ammonium ion.

### Step 3: Hydrolysis of Ions
Both the acetate ion and the ammonium ion can undergo hydrolysis:
- The acetate ion (\( CH₃COO^- \)) reacts with water to form acetic acid (\( CH₃COOH \)) and hydroxide ions (\( OH^- \)):
\[ CH₃COO^- + H₂O \rightleftharpoons CH₃COOH + OH^- \]

- The ammonium ion (\( NH₄^+ \)) reacts with water to form ammonium hydroxide (\( NH₄OH \)) and hydrogen ions (\( H^+ \)):
\[ NH₄^+ + H₂O \rightleftharpoons NH₄OH + H^+ \]

### Step 4: Equal Production of Ions
In this hydrolysis process, both reactions produce ions:
- The acetate ion produces \( OH^- \).
- The ammonium ion produces \( H^+ \).

Since both \( OH^- \) and \( H^+ \) are produced in equal amounts, they will neutralize each other.

### Step 5: Conclusion
As a result of the equal production of hydroxide ions and hydrogen ions, the solution remains neutral (pH = 7). Therefore, the aqueous solution of ammonium acetate is neutral.

### Final Answer
The aqueous solution of \( CH₃COONH₄ \) is neutral because both the acetate ion and ammonium ion undergo hydrolysis to produce equal amounts of \( H^+ \) and \( OH^- \), leading to a neutral pH.

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