Which of the following is true about the results of a neutralization reaction?
A. An acid and a base form water and salt.
B. Water reacts with a base to form the hydroxide ion.
C. Water reacts with an acid to form the hydronium ion.
D. An acid and a base dissociate into their ions.
A is the best answer here. However, it isn't always true. Much depends upon how acids and bases are defined.
The correct answer is A. An acid and a base form water and salt.
To understand why this is true, let's first define a neutralization reaction. A neutralization reaction occurs when an acid reacts with a base to produce a salt and water.
Acids are substances that release hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water, while bases are substances that release hydroxide ions (OH-) when dissolved in water.
During a neutralization reaction, the hydrogen ions from the acid combine with the hydroxide ions from the base to form water (H2O).
For example, if we have Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), the reaction would be:
HCl + NaOH -> H2O + NaCl
In this reaction, the acid (HCl) donates a hydrogen ion (H+) while the base (NaOH) donates a hydroxide ion (OH-), which combine to form water (H2O). The remaining ions, Na+ and Cl-, combine to form the salt sodium chloride (NaCl).
Therefore, option A is true - an acid and a base form water and salt during a neutralization reaction.