Question

In three to five sentences, identify the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base in this reaction. Use patterns in the periodic table to explain why the substances you identified acted and the base in this reaction

Answer 1

In the reaction between hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), HCl acts as the acid, while NaOH serves as the base. The conjugate acid formed is water (H2O), and the conjugate base is the chloride ion (Cl⁻). HCl donates a proton (H⁺), characterizing it as an acid, while NaOH provides hydroxide ions (OH⁻) and accepts the proton, making it a base. The reactivity of these substances can be attributed to their position in the periodic table; hydrogen is a non-metal that readily donates protons, while sodium, a metal, readily forms hydroxide ions, highlighting the behavior of acids and bases as predicted by their elemental properties.