Question

Write a balanced chemical equation with state symbols for the following reaction:

(ii) Sodium hydroxide solution in water reacts with a hydrochloric acid solution to produce Sodium chloride solution and water.

Answer 1

Balanced chemical equation:

• A balanced chemical equation is an equation in which the number of atoms in the reactant and the product's side should be an equal number.
• It obeys the law of conservation of mass and momentum.

Reaction:

• When sodium hydroxide a base in water reacts with an acid of hydrochloric acd gives sodium chloride and water, the reaction for this is

$\mathrm{NaOH}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+\mathrm{HCl}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\to \mathrm{NaCl}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)$

• This is the balanced equation where the number of atoms on the reactant and product side is an equal number

Element	Reactant	Product
$\mathrm{Na}$	$1$	$1$
$\mathrm{O}$	$1$	$1$
$\mathrm{H}$	$2$	$2$
$\mathrm{Cl}$	$1$	$1$

• When sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid combine, sodium chloride salt and water are formed.
• It's a neutralisation reaction when an acid combines with a base to produce salt and water.