Neutralization (chemistry)

Under a neutralization is understood in chemistry lifting the caustic ( among other things) action of acids or bases. The neutralization based on the fact that the effects of an acid and a base when mixing does not add up, but cancel. For an acid with an appropriate amount of a base and a base may be neutralized with an appropriate amount of an acid.

In general, the reactions take place in aqueous solutions. Strong acids completely dissolved form in water H3O ions, strong bases completely dissolved OH - ions. If such solutions are combined, formed from the oxonium ions and hydroxide ions of water.

An acid and a base is completely neutralized as the neutral point, that is, the pH of 7 is reached. The neutralization has high amounts of energy, it is an exothermic reaction, it is heat energy delivered. Here, the violence of the reaction increases with the concentration used: while in a reaction with concentrations of c = 1 mol / l effects are hardly visible, run neutralization with high concentrations of the reactants (eg, with 98 percent sulfuric acid ) may very violently and are therefore dangerous.

Is a weak acid (low dissociation ) is neutralized with a strong base ( a high degree of dissociation ) or a weak base with a strong acid, the pH - value at which a complete neutralization is present, be interpreted in different ways. The above pH 7 corresponds to the value of pure water and can be considered " neutral" are referred to as the " corrosive effects " are completely abolished. The components of the acids and bases are not available at the neutral point but in the same amount before. In chemistry, the pH is preferably called the equivalence point as neutral in a complete neutralization. Here are acids and bases before in the same amount, the pH deviates but on 7.