Question

HC2H3O2 + NaOH

¿Porque ocurre una reacción acido-base? Explicar todo detalladamente del NaOH y HC2H3O2.

Why does an acid-base reaction occur? Explain everything in detail of NaOH and HC2H3O2.

Answer 1

Acids are substances which can donate a hydrogen ion (H⁺) in solution. Bases are substances which can accept a hydrogen ion or donate a hydroxide ion (OH^{​​​​​-}) in solution. H⁺ from acid and OH^{​​​​​-}​​​​ from base combine to form water. Thus, when we mix an acid and a base they tend to neutralize each other's effect by forming a salt and water. For example, hydrochloric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide (base) to form sodium chloride (salt) and water. The reaction is called neutralisation reaction.

Thermodynamically, the reaction happens because the free energy change for the reaction is negative and hence the reaction is spontaneous. Also the total entropy change of the universe is positive for the reaction between acid and base to give salt and water.

Reaction between acetic acid and sodium hydroxide-

Acetic acid is organic acid, because it contains carbon. Its chemical formula can be written two ways. Either as HC2H3O2, or as CH3COOH.

Both are valid The thing to remember is that only one of the hydrogrens is lost.

So the equation is a neutralization reaction, acid base. You get a water, and a salt.

One way to write it is this:

HC2H3O2 + NaOH → H2O + NaC2H3O2

The other way using the other formula representation for acetic acid is this:

CH3COOH + NaOH → H2O + CH3COONa

A warning is that the second formula the H lost by the acid is lost from the right hand side, and that’s the proton that reacts to form water with the OH-.

So you get H2O and sodium acetate.