refer to the hydrolysis of ammonium sulfate to determine whether it's pH will be less than 7, equal to 7 or greater than 7.
Ammonium sulfate is a salt compound formed by combining ammonium ions (NH4+) and sulfate ions (SO4^2-). When dissolved in water, the salt undergoes hydrolysis, resulting in the formation of ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
The hydrolysis of ammonium sulfate can be represented by the following chemical equation:
(NH4)2SO4 + 2H2O -> 2NH4OH + H2SO4
Both ammonium hydroxide and sulfuric acid are weak acids, meaning that they will partially dissociate in water to release protons (H+ ions). The presence of these protons will lead to an increase in the H+ ion concentration in the solution, resulting in a decrease in pH.
Therefore, the pH of a solution of ammonium sulfate after hydrolysis will be less than 7.