Neutralization
- A neutralisation reaction is one in which an acid (pH <7) and a base/alkali (pH >7) react together to form water (pH = 7) and a salt
- The proton of the acid reacts with the hydroxide of the base to form water
- The spectator ions which are not involved in the formation of water, form the salt
The diagram shows a neutralisation reaction of HCl and NaOH and the two individual reactions that take place to form the water and salt
- The name of the salt produced can be predicted from the acid that has reacted
Acid Reacted & Salt Table
Examiner Tip
The enthalpy of neutralisation is the enthalpy change that occurs when an acid reacts with a base to form one mole of water. Since the reaction between strong acids and strong bases is the same regardless of the acid or base, it should be no surprise the enthalpy change is the same and is approximately -57 kJ mol-1
