Reactions of Acids and Bases

A neutralization reaction is a double displacement reaction between an acid and a base to produce a salt
and water. The salt is formed from the negative ion of the acid and the positive ion of the base. When
just enough base (or acid) is added to react exactly with the acid (or base) in a solution, we say the acid
has been neutralized. Neutralization reactions occur when neither the acid nor the base are in excess.

The effects of the acid and base are destroyed by the neutralization. The salt produced will determine the
pH of the resulting solution.

Neutralization of Strong Acids and Strong Bases

For strong acid and strong base reactions, the salt produced will always be a neutral salt. We will discuss
what neutral (and acidic and basic) salts mean more when we introduce weak acids and bases.

Since we are reacting a strong acid with a strong base, you get complete dissociation of the acid and
base. So, as in example above, you get the following complete ionic equation:
H+ + Cl– + Na+ + OH– → Na+ + Cl– + H2O
If you reduce the reaction by removing spectator ions, the net ionic equation is
H+ + OH– → H2O
This will ALWAYS be the net ionic equation for a strong acid – strong base reaction, and the pH of the
resulting solutions will ALWAYS be 7.

Another example of such a reaction is HNO3 and Ca(OH)2. This type of reaction is important because
the base will dissociate twice the number of moles of hydroxide ions. You need to be aware of this. The
neutralization reaction will look like this
2HNO3 + Ca(OH)2 → Ca(NO3)2 + 2H2O
The total ionic equation becomes
2H+ + 2NO3– + Ca+ + 2OH– → Ca+ + 2NO3– + 2H2O
If you reduce the reaction by removing spectator ions, the net ionic equation is
2H+ + 2OH– → 2H2O
And if you simplify both sides of the reaction, your net ionic equation is
H+ + OH– → H2O
This will ALWAYS be the net ionic equation for a strong acid – strong base reaction, and the pH of the
resulting solutions will ALWAYS be 7.
Sulfuric acid is an oddball…
The only exception to the ideas of strong acids and bases and neutralization reactions has to do with
sulfuric acid. We have already discussed that only the first hydrogen in sulfuric acid completely
dissociates. You may see problems, or examples in textbooks (or online) were they could give you the
reaction shown below.

You will ONLY see things like this if the problem or situation is neutralization with the same number of
moles of H+ and OH–. However, the pH of this solution at equivalence will NOT be 7, and the net ionic
equation will not be the formation of water. Again, this will come later.

Neutralization of Weak Acids and Bases

For this, let’s look at the example of HCl being neutralized with Al(OH)3. The neutralization reaction
will be
3HCl + Al(OH)3 → AlCl3 + 3H2O
This reaction has a strong acid with a weak base. You would still do the calculations for the
neutralization the same as if it were a strong acid – strong base problem. Because of the nature of this
being strong acid and weak base, the final solution when neutralization occurs will be acidic and the pH
will be less than 7.

In these types of problems, you are relying on the ideal that the number of moles of acid (H+) is equal to
the number of moles of base (OH–). You will be attempting to solve for an unknown molarity or volume.
A laboratory procedure used to determine the unknown molarity of a solution is called a titration.

Example. What volume of 0.0947 M NaOH is needed to neutralize 21.4 mL of 0.106 M HCl?
HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O
molA = molB
MAVA = MBVB
(0.106 M)(21.4 mL) = (0.0947 M)VB
VB = 24.0 mL
Example. How many ml of 0.200 M KOH is needed to neutralize 15.0 mL of 0.400 M H2SO4?
H2SO4 + 2KOH → K2SO4 + 2H2O
molA = molB
2MAVA = MBVB
Note that I added a 2 to the equation above. This is because for every 1 mole of H2SO4, you get 2 moles
of H+. Therefore, you must multiply by 2.
2(0.400 M)(15.0 mL) = (0.200 M)VB
VB = 60.0 mL

Example. In a titration, 42.3 mL of 0.100 M NaOH is required to neutralize 25.0 mL of pineapple juice.
If we assume the acid in pineapple juice is monoprotic, what was the molarity of this acid?
Huh? What does monoprotic mean? Simple, one hydrogen. Diprotic would mean two hydrogens.
Triprotic would mean three. So, when doing the calculations, we know for every one mole of a
monoprotic acid, we need to account for only one hydrogen. This is sometimes used as an assumption in
a titration with a solution that you know is acidic, but you don’t know what type of acid it is. In the
reaction, you would use HA for the formula for a monoprotic acid. A– is representing the unknown
anion in the acid.
HA + NaOH → NaA + H2O
molA = molB
MAVA = MBVB
MA(25.0 mL) = (0.100 M)(42.3 mL)
MB = 0.169 M

Reactions with Strong Acids and Strong Bases that Have a Limiting Reaction (Not Neutralization)
In these types of problems, you have to consider you are not at the equivalence point (neutralization). So
you don’t have the same number of moles of acid and base. The problems of this variety will ask you to
determine the pH of the solution. To do this you will need to follow the steps we did yesterday in class.
Instead of typing up examples of this time, I have found you a real nice youtube video.
Check out the video Manpreet made. It is good. It includes a calculation when the base is the limiting
reagent, when you have neutralization, and when the acid is a limiting reagent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7yRl48O7n8
 Acid and Base Reactions 1

Neutralization.

1. What concentration of HCl will be required if you use 100.0 mL of that acid to neutralize 0.010L of
3.0M sodium hydroxide?

2. What volume of 0.50M Ba(OH)2 is required to be mixed with 35.0 mL of 0.60M HCl to have a
resulting solution with a pH = 7?

3. What volume of 5.0M H2SO4 is required to neutralize a NaOH solution in which 2.50 g of NaOH
(MM = 40 g/mol) has been dissolved in water to produce 100.0 mL of NaOH solution?

4. Determine the molarity of a monoprotic acid solution in which 40.0 mL of the acid has been
neutralized by 120.0 mL of 0.531M NaOH.

5. 0.275 grams of solid NaOH (MM = 40 g/mol) was added to 35.4 mL of HCl. Complete neutralization
occurred. What was the molarity of the HCl?

6. What would be the volume of 0.250M monoprotic acid required to react with 0.500 grams of
Ca(OH)2?

7. What is the molarity of an oxalic acid (H2C2O4) solution if 22.50 mL of this solution requires 35.72
mL of 0.198 M NaOH for complete neutralization?

8. A solution was prepared by dissolving 25.0 grams of Ba(OH)2 in water to make one liter of solution.
How many milliliters of 0.200M H2SO4 would be required to react with 25.0 mL of the Ba(OH)2
solution?

9. What is the molarity of Ca(OH)2 if 200.00 mL of Ca(OH)2 is required to completely neutralize

100.00 mL of 0.350M H3PO4?

Not Neutralization
10. You begin with 25 mL of 0.2 M HCl. You titrate this solution with 0.1 M NaOH. Calculate the pH
when you have added 0 mL, 20 mL, 40 mL, 50 mL, 60 mL and 80 mL of NaOH.