Final answer:
The substances that are the reactants in the chemical formula HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H₂O are hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The correct answer is option c.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chemical formula presented is: HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H₂O(l). In this chemical reaction, the reactants are HCl (hydrochloric acid) and NaOH (sodium hydroxide). These are combined in a neutralization reaction to produce salt, represented by NaCl (sodium chloride), and water, H₂O.
Thus, the correct answer to which substances are the reactants is: c. HCl and NaOH. Neutralization reactions result in the formation of water and a salt from the combination of an acid and a base. In the expanded equation.
We can see that HCl and NaOH are fully ionized in solution, leading to the net ionic reaction of H+ combining with OH- to produce water (H₂O).