This deep dive covers Deep Dive: The Core Neutralisation Reaction within Neutralisation Reactions for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Neutralisation Reactions in Chemical Changes for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 2 of 13 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🔬 Deep Dive: The Core Neutralisation Reaction
This is the most important equation in acid-base chemistry. When hydrogen ions from an acid meet hydroxide ions from an alkali, they combine to form water — a neutral substance. The acid and alkali cancel each other out.
The general equation:
acid + alkali → salt + water
Example reactions:
HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H₂O
hydrochloric acid + sodium hydroxide → sodium chloride + water
H₂SO₄ + 2KOH → K₂SO₄ + 2H₂O
sulfuric acid + potassium hydroxide → potassium sulfate + water
HNO₃ + NaOH → NaNO₃ + H₂O
nitric acid + sodium hydroxide → sodium nitrate + water
Practice questions for Neutralisation Reactions
Which word equation correctly represents a neutralisation reaction?
Explain why the ionic equation for any strong acid-alkali neutralisation is always H⁺(aq) + OH⁻(aq) → H₂O(l).