Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry · Syllabus 0620 · Acids, Bases and Salts
Neutralisation
What is Neutralisation?
The reaction between an acid and an alkali to produce water. The hydrogen ions of the acid and the hydroxide ions of the alkali combine, so a salt and water are formed; the change is summarised by the ionic equation H+(aq) + OH-(aq) to H2O(l). An acid reacting with an insoluble base also gives a salt and water.
This definition is part of the Acids, Bases and Salts chapter in Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry.
Common mistakes with Neutralisation
- “Neutralisation always ends at pH 7.” Repair Neutralisation is defined by what reacts — an acid with an alkali, producing water — not by a number. A mixture only sits at pH 7 when exactly enough of each has been added and the salt formed does not itself make the solution acidic or alkaline. Add one drop too much acid and the reaction was still a neutralisation.