Write 2 separate balanced equations for the neutralization reactions of hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide and acetic acid with sodium hydroxide......i never get how to do that!

Remember this.

acid + base = salt + H2O.

I'll do the first one and leave the second for you.
HCl + NaOH ==> NaCl + HOH. Just pull the H and OH out and what's left is the salt.

HC2H3O2 + NaOH ==>
On HC2H3O2, it's the FIRST H that is the acid H, the H3, for example, is part of the rest of the formula. I prefer to write acetic acid as HAc where H stands for the acidic H and Ac stands for the rest of the molecule.

so that second one would end up being:

NaOH + CH3COOH--> Na+ CH3COO + H2O
....right?

exactly. Very good.

how many grams of sodium hydroxide is required to neutralize 73grams of hydrochloric acid and to form sodium chloride and water

Balanced equations help us to represent chemical reactions accurately. To write balanced equations for neutralization reactions, we need to understand the chemical formulas and the concept of neutralization. Let's break down the process step by step for each reaction.

1. Neutralization of hydrochloric acid (HCl) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH):

Step 1: Write down the chemical formulas of the reactants in the equation.
HCl + NaOH

Step 2: Identify the products of the reaction. In a neutralization reaction, an acid reacts with a base to produce water and a salt.
The salt is formed by the combination of the positive ion from the base and the negative ion from the acid. In this case, sodium (Na) from NaOH combines with chloride (Cl) from HCl to form sodium chloride (NaCl).
Water (H2O) is also formed.

Step 3: Write down the products of the reaction.
NaCl + H2O

Step 4: Balance the equation by ensuring the same number of atoms are present on both sides of the equation.
The equation should be balanced both in terms of mass (atoms) and charge.
The balanced equation for the reaction is:
HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O

2. Neutralization of acetic acid (CH3COOH) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH):

Step 1: Write down the chemical formulas of the reactants in the equation.
CH3COOH + NaOH

Step 2: Identify the products of the reaction. Similar to the previous reaction, an acid reacts with a base to produce water and a salt.
In this case, sodium (Na) from NaOH combines with the acetate (CH3COO) group from CH3COOH to form sodium acetate (CH3COONa).
Water (H2O) is also formed.

Step 3: Write down the products of the reaction.
CH3COONa + H2O

Step 4: Balance the equation.
The balanced equation for the reaction is:
CH3COOH + NaOH → CH3COONa + H2O

Remember, to balance equations, you need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element and the charges are the same on both sides of the equation. It may take some practice to master this skill, but understanding the formulas and applying the concept of neutralization will help you write balanced equations accurately.