Neutralization Reactions

[Schuyler_Howell_4D]

How do you write a neutralization reaction if they give you the product? How do you decide what acid/base to use?

[Rachel Dang 1H]

If they give you a salt as the product, I think we are supposed to identify the cation and anion and assume that the other product was liquid water and work from there.

[Amy Lefley 1J]

I think you are referring to problem 7 in Fundamentals J. A neutralization reaction is an acid and base reacting to form a salt and water. If we are given the salt and know that water is always produced, we just have to find the two reactants. For part A, for instance, we are given the salt KBr and asked to write the neutralization reaction. K has to be part of the base because bases have OH which is negative so need a positive charge. Br is part of the acid because acids usually have an H which is positive and Br is negative. Balance the charges of the molecules and the reaction as a whole and you have the neutralization reaction.

[305127455]

Taking H2O as another product of the reaction and filling the reactants should work.

[Pritish Patil 1K]

Use water as another product and fill in the reactants.

[Madelyn Romberg 1H]

Always remember water is a product, so there will be a cation paired with a hydroxyl and an anion paired with a H+ ion. So work backwards to fill in the missing pieces

[105002507]

You should use water as another product and fill in the reactants after