Strong Acid Strong Base Reactions

Definition

These are reactions where strong acids react with strong bases producing salt and water. They are also known as neutralization reactions because they result in a solution that is neither acidic nor basic.

Analogy

Think of strong acid and strong base reactions like an intense tug-of-war game. The strong acid and the strong base are two equally matched teams pulling on opposite ends of the rope (the reaction). When they meet in the middle, they balance each other out, creating a neutral ground (the salt and water).

Related terms

Titration: A technique where a solution of known concentration is used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution.

Indicator: A substance that changes color in response to a chemical change such as pH change.

Salt: An ionic compound resulting from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base.