Question

Question #42e61

Answer 1

`2NaOH + H_2SO_4 -> Na_2SO_4 + 2HOH`

This is an example of a neutralization (double decomposition) reaction between a base and an acid which usually produces a salt and water.

 It is graphically represented as:

`"B-OH" + "H-A" -> "B-A" + "H"_2"O"`

where `B` is the metal in the base (with the `OH`) and `A` is the nonmetal /radical in the acid (with H as the positive ion) resulting to a binary/ternary salt, `B-A`.

It is called binary because only two elements make it up, a metal as the positive ion and the nonmetal as the negative ion.

Ternary salts are made up of a metal with a radical (a group of elements exhibiting an electrical charge) , e.g., `SO_4^(-2)`

Water is formed from the positive ion of the acid and the negative `OH^(-)` radical of the base.

 Therefore, to form the salt, just exchange the electrical charges of the metal and the radical:

`2Na^(+) + SO_4^(2-) -> Na_2SO_4`