Subsection 9.3.2 Salts
An acid-base reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs between an acid and a base. In this type of reaction, the acid donates a proton (H+) to the base, which accepts the proton. This results in the formation of a new compound that is neither acidic nor basic in nature. Neutralization is a specific type of acid-base reaction where an acid and a base react to form a salt and water. The salt formed is composed of the cation of the base and the anion of the acid, and it is typically a neutral compound. For example, when hydrochloric acid (HCl) reacts with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), the following reaction takes place:
\begin{equation*}
HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H_2O
\end{equation*}
In this reaction, HCl is the acid, NaOH is the base, NaCl is the salt, and \(H_2O \) is the water that is formed. The resulting solution is neutral because the \(H^+\) and \(OH^-\) ions from the acid and base, respectively, have combined to form water, leaving behind only the \(Na^+\) and \(Cl^-\) ions from the salt. Table salt \((NaCl)\text{,}\) Epsom salt \((MgSO_4.7H_2O)\text{,}\) Gypsom salt \((MgCaSO_4.2H_2O)\text{,}\) Baking soda \((NaHCO_3)\) are some examples of salt.
