Question

"The chemical formula below shows how salt is produced.

HCl + NaOH NaCl + H₂O
Which substances are the reactants?
A.HCl and NaCl
B.NaCl and H₂O
C.HCl and NaOH
D.NaOH and H₂O"

Answer 1

The reactants in the equation HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H₂O(1) are hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which combine in a neutralization reaction to produce water and sodium chloride (NaCl).

Step-by-step explanation:

The reactants in the chemical equation HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H₂O(1) are the substances that react together to produce new substances. In this equation, the reactants are hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). These react in a neutralization reaction where the acid and the base combine to form water and a salt, which is sodium chloride (NaCl) in this case.

The products of the reaction are NaCl (aq) and H₂O(1), thus indicating that the correct answer to the student's question is: C. HCl and NaOH as the reactants in the reaction.