Question

\[Sodium{\text{ }}hydroxide{\text{ }} + {\text{ }}Sulphuric{\text{ }}acid \to \]
(A) Sodium sulphate + Water + Heat
(B) Sodium sulphate + Heat
(C) Heat + Water
(D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint:
An acid base reaction is a chemical ionic reaction that involves the exchange of hydrogen ions \[{H^ + }\], between the species that may be neutral or electrically charged. Also, when acid and base react with each other, they both get neutralized.

Complete step by step answer:
The chemical formula of sodium hydroxide is $NaOH$. It is an ionic compound which consists of $N{a^ + }$ and $O{H^ - }$ ions. It is a strong base having the \[pH\] value as $12.88$. On the other hand, sulphuric acid, with the chemical formula as ${H_2}S{O_4}$, is a molecular compound having covalent bonds but it undergoes ionization when dissolved in water. It ionizes to $HSO_4^ - $ and ${H^ + }$ ions. It is a strong acid with a $pH$ value of $2.75$.
Now, when sodium hydroxide and sulphuric acid would react with each other, they will undergo the acid base reaction and will neutralize each other to give salt and water as the products leading to the $pH$ value of $7$.
This acid base reaction can be written as:

\[2NaOH\left[ {sodium{\text{ }}hydroxide\left( {base} \right)} \right] + {H_2}S{O_4}\left[ {sulphuric{\text{ }}acid\left( {acid} \right)} \right] \to N{a_2}S{O_4}\left[ {sodium{\text{ }}sulphate\left( {salt} \right)} \right] + 2{H_2}O\left( {water} \right) + heat\]

In the above reaction, the base, sodium hydroxide, get dissociated to form $N{a^ + }$ and $O{H^ - }$ ions whereas the sulphuric acid is dissociated into ${H^ + }$ and $HSO_4^ - $ ions. We know that the $O{H^ - }$ and ${H^ + }$ ions get attached easily to form water. The salt $N{a_2}S{O_4}$ is also formed as a product to neutralize the reaction process. Moreover, the formation of two strong covalent bonds between hydrogen and hydroxide ions leads to the neutralization reaction’s exothermic nature. This means that heat is also produced during this reaction.
Hence, the answer is option (A).


Note:
 The strong acids and bases completely react with water and get totally ionized whereas the weak acids and bases dissociate only partially in water. Whereas when a strong acid and weak base or a weak acid and strong base would react with each other, then conjugate acid or conjugate base will be produced in the reaction.