What is neutralization?

• A. A chemical reaction between an acid and a base that produces a salt and water.
• B. A reaction between an acid and a metal that releases hydrogen gas.
• C. The dissolution of a salt.
• D. A reaction that changes the color of a solution.

Answer: (C)

Neutralization is the reaction between an acid and a base that produces a salt and water. In this process, the hydrogen ions (H+) from the acid combine with hydroxide ions (OH−) from the base to form water, while the remaining ions pair up to form a salt. A classic example is HCl reacting with NaOH to give NaCl and H2O.

The other descriptions point to different processes: reacting an acid with a metal releases hydrogen gas (an acid-metal reaction, not neutralization), dissolving a salt describes simply a salt dissolving in water rather than forming new products, and a color change can come from indicators or pH changes but doesn’t define neutralization itself. So the description that matches neutralization is the acid-base reaction that yields a salt and water.