Question Video: Identifying Acids, Bases, and Salts in a Neutralization Reaction | Nagwa Question Video: Identifying Acids, Bases, and Salts in a Neutralization Reaction | Nagwa

Question Video: Identifying Acids, Bases, and Salts in a Neutralization Reaction Chemistry

A neutralization reaction is shown below. HNO⟶ (aq) + KOH (aq) ⟶ KNO⟶ (aq) + H₂O (l). What is the acid in this equation? What is the base in this equation? What is the salt in this equation?

03:27

Video Transcript

A neutralization reaction is shown below. Aqueous HNO3 plus aqueous KOH turns into aqueous KNO3 plus liquid H2O. What is the acid in this equation? What is the base in this equation? What is the salt in this equation?

The general form of a neutralization reaction is that an acid and a base added together produce water and a salt. This multipart question is asking us to look at the four compounds listed in the chemical equation and identify which one is the acid, which one is the base, and which one is the salt.

If we look again at the general equation for a neutralization reaction, we can see that the acid and base are the reactants of the reaction on the left side of the equation, while the salt is one of the products on the right side of the equation. Note that we cannot simply say that the acid comes first, the base comes second, the water comes third, and the salt comes fourth. The reactants on the left-hand side of the equation could be listed in any order, and the products on the right-hand side of the equation could be listed in any order.

Let’s start by identifying the salt. In chemistry, a salt is an ionic compound consisting of a positive ion and a negative ion. It’s a product of a neutralization reaction. So it will appear on the right-hand side of the equation. Thankfully, it is not too difficult to identify which of the products is which. Liquid H2O is also known as water, leaving aqueous KNO3, the ionic compound made up of the positive potassium ion and the negative nitrate ion, to be the salt.

Next, we need to identify which is the acid and which is the base. Based on the general formula, we know that the acid and the base are the reactants of the neutralization reaction. So of the two reactants on the left-hand side of the equation, HNO3 and KOH, one will be the acid and one will be the base. How do we determine which one is an acid and which one is a base?

Well, acids produce hydrogen ions when dissolved, while bases produce hydroxide or OH− ions when dissolved. If we break down these compounds into their constituent ions, we can see that HNO3 produces hydrogen ions, while KOH produces hydroxide ions. This means that HNO3 is our acid and KOH is our base.

Note that there are some bases that don’t produce hydroxide ions. However, the acid will still produce hydrogen ions. So you can identify the acid and base in this case by first identifying the acid. Neutralization reactions will always follow the general formula of acid plus base produces water and a salt. If we can identify the reactant that produces hydrogen ions, the reactant that produces hydroxide ions, and the product that is an ionic compound, we can identify the acid, base, and salt, respectively.

In the neutralization reaction shown below, the acid is HNO3, the base is KOH, and the salt is KNO3.

Join Nagwa Classes

Attend live sessions on Nagwa Classes to boost your learning with guidance and advice from an expert teacher!

  • Interactive Sessions
  • Chat & Messaging
  • Realistic Exam Questions

Nagwa uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more about our Privacy Policy