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Understanding Neutralisation Reactions

Neutralization is a reaction between an acid and a base that produces a salt and water. It involves the reaction of hydrogen ions in acids with hydroxide ions in bases to form water, reducing the solution's acidity or alkalinity. A neutralization reaction balances the pH of the solution. Excess acid or base added will make the solution more acidic or basic respectively.

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65 views2 pages

Understanding Neutralisation Reactions

Neutralization is a reaction between an acid and a base that produces a salt and water. It involves the reaction of hydrogen ions in acids with hydroxide ions in bases to form water, reducing the solution's acidity or alkalinity. A neutralization reaction balances the pH of the solution. Excess acid or base added will make the solution more acidic or basic respectively.

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deepasanmugham
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© All Rights Reserved
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Neutralisation

Neutralisation is a type of chemical reaction involving an acid and a base.

Adding an acid to a base reduces the alkalinity of the solution. Adding a base to an acid
reduces the acidity of the solution. In both cases this brings the pH closer to 7 (neutral)
If the right amount of acid / base is added the solution will be neutral (pH 7). An indicator can
be used to show when the solution is neutral (e.g. universal indicator will turn green).
If excess acid is added the solution will become more acidic. If excess base is added the
solution will become more basic.

What's going on
Acids release H+ ions in solution and this is what makes the solution acidic. Most bases (alkalis)
will release OH- ions into solution and this is what makes the solution more basic. H+ and
OH- ions will readily combine to form water which is neutral.

Neutralisation: H+ + OH- → H2O

The equation above only accounts for the H+ and OH- that are released by an acid / alkali. A
base usually contains a metal ion and an acid always contains a non-metal ion. These metal &
non-metal ions combine to forma salt. This means that an Acid-Base (neutralisation) reaction
can be summarised as follows:

Acid + Base → Salt + Water

Note that both of the products formed (salt and water) are neutral. This is why the reaction is
called a neutralisation reaction.
The name of the salt produced in a neutralisation reaction can be derived from the acid and
base used. A base usually contains a metal and this forms the first part of the salts name. The
acid will contain a non-metal ion that determines the second half of the name.

 Hydrochloric acid always forms metal-chloride salts


 Sulphuric acid always forms metal-sulphate salts
 Nitric acid always forms metal-nitrate salts

For instance in a reaction between Sulphuric Acid and Sodium Hydroxide (base)...

Sulphuric acid + Sodium Hydroxide → Sodium Sulphate (salt) +


Water

Isolating a salt from solution

In order to separate the salt from water the solution can be heated in an evaporating basin.
The water will evaporate leaving beh

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