Neutralization Reactions

Have you ever had heartburn or stomach pain due to indigestion? This is caused by the acids in your stomach. Sometimes, these acids will travel out of your stomach and into your esophagus. This is called acid reflux. How can a person suffering these symptoms control the acid? One way is to ingest the recommended dose of tablets containing calcium. Once ingested, the basic calcium will neutralize the acids in the stomach and decrease the amount of heartburn. There are many neutralization reactions and this process is very important. Neutralization is a process in which water is formed. In this topic, you will investigate neutralization and the formation of salts.

Essential Questions

• What is a neutralization reaction?
• How are the equations for neutralization reactions written?