Is Potassium Bromide a Salt?
Potassium bromide is a salt for which many uses have been found -- although seasoning food is not one of them. It was even once used as a medicine to treat seizures in epileptics.
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Potassium Bromide
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Potassium bromide (chemical formula KBr) is a salt composed of the ions potassium (K+) and bromide (Br-.) It is a white crystalline powder that dissolves in water.
Ions
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Ions can be found in many chemical solutions. An ion is an atom or molecule with an electrical charge. A positively charged ion is missing one or more electrons, and is called a cation. A negatively charged ion has one or more extra electrons, and is called an anion. The potassium ion is a potassium that has lost one electron, and a bromide ion is a bromide atom that has gained one extra electron.
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Salts
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Table salt is a typical salt. A salt is an electrically neutral substance made of cations and anions. Salts can be formed by reactions between acids and bases. Some can be dissolved in water. The ions of salts dissolved in water are called electrolytes, and electrolyte solutions can conduct electricity. Salts generally have high melting points, and molten salts also conduct electricity.
It's a Salt
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Potassium bromide is an ionic substance with a neutral net charge. Therefore, it meets the definition of a salt. Because it can be dissolved in water, the potassium and bromide ions are also electrolytes. Potassium bromide is not the same as common table salt, sodium chloride (NaCl.)
Uses
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Potassium bromide was once used as an anti-seizure drug to treat epilepsy. In human medicine, it has been replaced by newer medications, but it is still used to treat epilepsy in cats and dogs. Other uses of potassium bromide are in photography and optics.
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Miłosz Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Kevin Dooley
