neutralization reaction
- noun
- /ˌnjuːtrəlaɪˈzeɪʃən rɪˈækʃən/
- Specialized
- When hydrochloric acid is mixed with sodium hydroxide, a neutralization reaction occurs, forming salt and water.
Examples
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Titration is commonly used in laboratories to measure the progress of a neutralization reaction.
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The neutralization reaction produces salt and water.
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A neutralization reaction can help to treat acidic wastewater by adding a base.
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A typical neutralization reaction involves an acid and a base.
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When hydrochloric acid is mixed with sodium hydroxide, a neutralization reaction occurs, forming salt and water.
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A neutralization reaction can help to treat acidic wastewater by adding a base.
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Titration is commonly used in laboratories to measure the progress of a neutralization reaction.
Synonyms
A chemical reaction of an acid and a base that makes salt and water
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'neutralization' already denotes the specific chemical process (producing salt and water) and 'reaction' marks it as a chemical process, so a learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer the combined sense. This noun+noun composition is standard and cross-linguistically transparent, making the phrase immediately understandable rather than idiomatic.
Etymology
The term neutralization reaction comes from the simple image of making something 'neutral' by mixing opposites. Imagine a sour liquid called an acid and a soapy liquid called a base meeting and cancelling each other to make 'water' and 'salt', so the result is not acidic or basic. That's why the term means a reaction where an acid and a base make a neutral result.