When sodium hydroxide, a strong alkali, reacts with an acid in a neutralization reaction, a salt and water are produced. The specific salt formed depends directly on the acid used in the reaction. Based on the provided reference, sodium sulfate is one such salt that can be produced.
Understanding Neutralization Reactions
Neutralization is a fundamental chemical process where an acid reacts with a base (alkali) to yield a salt and water. This reaction effectively cancels out the acidic and basic properties of the reactants.
The general form of this reaction is:
Acid + Alkali → Salt + Water
The name of the resulting salt is derived from the reactants. As stated in the reference, the first part of the salt's name comes from the alkali (in this case, 'sodium' from sodium hydroxide). The second part comes from the acid used.
Sodium Sulfate: An Example from Neutralization
The reference provides a specific example of sodium hydroxide neutralization:
- Reference Information: "When an acid alkali neutralisation reaction happens - like when adding sodium hydroxide to sulfuric acid - it produces sodium sulfate and water. The name of the salt is made by taking the first part from the alkali - sodium."
This highlights that when sodium hydroxide (NaOH) reacts with sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), the resulting salt is sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄).
The reaction can be represented by the balanced chemical equation:
2NaOH(aq) + H₂SO₄(aq) → Na₂SO₄(aq) + 2H₂O(l)
Here's a breakdown of the components in this specific reaction:
| Reactant (Alkali) | Reactant (Acid) | Product (Salt) | Product (Water) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium Hydroxide | Sulfuric Acid | Sodium Sulfate | Water |
| NaOH | H₂SO₄ | Na₂SO₄ | H₂O |
Why Different Acids Produce Different Salts
While sodium sulfate is produced when using sulfuric acid, neutralizing sodium hydroxide with different acids will yield different sodium salts:
- With Hydrochloric Acid (HCl): Produces sodium chloride (NaCl), common table salt.
NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H₂O - With Nitric Acid (HNO₃): Produces sodium nitrate (NaNO₃).
NaOH + HNO₃ → NaNO₃ + H₂O
Therefore, the salt produced by the neutralization of sodium hydroxide is a sodium salt, but its specific name (sulfate, chloride, nitrate, etc.) depends entirely on which acid is used in the reaction. The reference specifically identifies sodium sulfate as the salt produced when sodium hydroxide is neutralized by sulfuric acid.
