Analytical Chemistry Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive Exam Prep

When a strong acid is neutralized by a strong base, the reaction typically results in a solution that is considered neutral. This process can be represented by the general equation of acid-base neutralization:

\[ \text{HA} + \text{MOH} \rightarrow \text{MA} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \]

Where HA represents the strong acid and MOH is the strong base. Upon reacting, they form a salt (MA) and water. The key point here is that strong acids and bases completely dissociate in solution. For example, hydrochloric acid (HCl) dissociates completely into H⁺ and Cl⁻, while sodium hydroxide (NaOH) dissociates into Na⁺ and OH⁻.

When equal moles of a strong acid and a strong base react, the resulting solutions have equal concentrations of H⁺ and OH⁻ ions, leading to the formation of water. This results in a solution where the concentrations of hydrogen ions (H⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻) balance each other out, making the solution neutral, with a pH around 7 at standard conditions.

This property is why the neutralization