Question

Am I misinterpreting the question or is the question incorrect?

What happens when an acid reacts with a base? What compound(s) are formed?

A) Water only.
B) Salt only.
C) Metal oxides only.
D) Salt and water.

Answer 1

I believe D is correct, but I have some doubts, can anyone verify?

Answer 2

What is your doubt?

Answer 3

Well when an acid react with a base it always forms salt and usually water. Emphasis on usually water. If water is formed usually and not always isn't it incorrect to say D is correct?

Answer 4

The way I see it is that D implies that salt and water are both always formed. I'm not sure if I may just be misinterpreting my English.

Answer 5

Water is always formed. Look at it this way: Base give OH- and acid H+. Both are so in love with each other that whenever they come across each other, they combine and give water.

Answer 6

yeah water and salt both r formed..!

Answer 7

Does that clear it?

Answer 8

So basically you are saying that:
\[Acid + base → salt + water\]
Always?

Answer 9

\[HCl (aq) + NH3 (aq) \implies NH4CL (aq)\]
No water, just salt is produce...

Answer 10

Well I missed out an important part. My statement holds for only aqueous solutions. In non aqueous solutions we do not have availability of OH- ions. The O atom is necessary for formation of water.

Answer 11

Most of the neutralization reactions in chemistry are carried out in aqueous medium and hence in almost all cases we get water as byproduct. Thus it is safe mark D as right answer.

Answer 12

Thank you @AravindG . :-)

Answer 13

yw :)