What is the Reaction of an Acid With a Base?

Neutralization reactions produce salts.

Neutralization reactions occur when an acid reacts with a base. These reactions typically result in the formation of a salt and water. In these reactions, the hydronium (H+) ion from the acid combines with the (OH-) ion of the base to form water, with the remaining ions combining to form a salt.

Acids

A simple definition of acids is a substance that ionizes to form hydrogen ions (H+). Most familiar acids can be identified by this definition, including hydrochloric acid (HCl), acetic acid (HC2H3O2) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Hydrochloric acid (HCl) disassociates in aqueous solution to form H+ and Cl- ions. Strong acids disassociate more completely than weaker acids.

Bases

Simply defined, bases ionize to form hydroxide ions (OH-). Common bases include sodium hydroxide (NaOH), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH). As with acids, the strength of a base is determined by how completely it is ionized to produce hydroxide ions.

Salts

The typical reaction of most acid-base reactions produces a salt and water. For example, hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide react to produce sodium chloride and water (HCl + NaOH --> NaCl + H2O). While sodium chloride, or table salt, is the salt familiar to most people, the term is generally applied to the product of neutralization reactions and includes a wide number of compounds.

References

• Indiana University Northwest: Acid/Base (Neutralization) Reactions
• Hyperphysics: Acid-Base Reactions

Resources

• Wisc-Online: Acid-Base Reactions Tutorial