Tuesday, August 11, 2015

What type of reaction occurs when a strong base and strong acid react

When a strong acid and a strong base react with each other, a neutralization reaction takes place. In such a neutralization reaction, the acid and the base will neutralize each other completely, thus resulting in a solution with a neutral pH. In fact, when a strong acid reacts with a strong base, the resulting products are water and an ionic salt.
For example, sulfuric acid (H_2SO_4) is a strong acid, and when it reacts with a strong base like sodium hydroxide (NaOH), the following reaction takes place:
H_2SO_4 + 2NaOH -> Na_2SO_4 + 2H_2O
The resulting products of this reaction are sodium sulfate (ionic salt) and water.
It is to be noted that when the strong acid completely neutralizes a strong base, the pH of the resulting solution will always be 7.
Another example of such a reaction is the chemical reaction between the hydrochloric acid (HCl) and potassium hydroxide (KOH).
Hope this helps.

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