What is the Difference Between Ammonium Sulfate and Sodium Sulphate?

The main difference between ammonium sulfate and sodium sulfate lies in their chemical composition, odor, and pH characteristics. Here are the key differences:

1. Composition: Ammonium sulfate is an inorganic salt formed by combining sulfuric acid with two equivalents of ammonia, while sodium sulfate is an inorganic salt formed by combining sulfuric acid with two equivalents of sodium.
2. Odor: Ammonium sulfate has a pungent, irritating odor, whereas sodium sulfate is odorless.
3. pH: Ammonium sulfate is an acidic salt, as it is a salt of a strong acid (sulfuric acid) and a weak base (ammonia). When dissolved in water, ammonium sulfate dissociates into positive ammonium ions and negative sulfate ions, making it a strong electrolyte. In contrast, sodium sulfate is neutral.

A chemical test to distinguish between ammonium sulfate and sodium sulfate is by heating both compounds with sodium hydroxide (NaOH). When ammonium sulfate is heated with NaOH, it liberates ammonia gas, while no ammonia gas is formed when sodium sulfate is heated with NaOH.

Comparative Table: Ammonium Sulfate vs Sodium Sulphate

Here is a table comparing the differences between ammonium sulfate and sodium sulphate:

The key difference between ammonium sulfate and sodium sulphate is that ammonium sulfate has a pungent, irritating odor, whereas sodium sulfate is an odorless substance. Both compounds contain sulfate anions bonded to different cations: ammonium cation and sodium cation, respectively. These differences in chemical and physical properties result from the varying cations.