Reaction between acids and bases
- The reaction between acids and bases is termed as Neutralization reaction.
- The products of a neutralization reaction are salt and water.
- The general mechanism of neutralization reactions involve substitution of the H+ ion in acids with the metal ions in the bases and then interaction between H+ and OH– to form H2
- Some common examples are given below:
Reaction between acids and carbonates
- Reaction between acids and carbonates somewhat follows the similar mechanism as neutralization reactions. The only difference here is that apart from salt and water, carbon dioxide is also produced as products.
- Some examples include:
Reaction between acids and metals
- Reactions between acids and metals also follow the substitution mechanism. However, whether a metal can replace H+ from acids solely depends upon its position in the reactivity series of metals. If a metal is above Hydrogen in the reactivity series (which refers to the fact of that metal being comparatively more reactive than Hydrogen), it can easily replace Hydrogen. If not, no reaction takes place.
- The reactivity series is as follows:
Potassium > Sodium > Calcium > Magnesium > Aluminium > Zinc > Iron > Lead > Hydrogen > Copper > Mercury > Silver > Gold - Some examples include:
