Final answer:
The products of an acid and a base in a neutralization reaction are water and a salt. The ions from the acid and base combine to form these products, typically resulting in a neutral solution, unless an unbalanced mix of strong and weak reactants yields a slightly acidic or basic solution. The correct option is 2.
Step-by-step explanation:
The products of an acid and a base in a neutralization reaction are most commonly water and a salt. When an acid reacts with a base, the hydrogen ions (H+) from the acid combine with the hydroxide ions (OH-) from the base to form water (H2O). Additionally, the remaining ions from the acid and the base form an ionic compound, which is referred to as a salt.
For example, in the neutralization of hydrochloric acid (HCl) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), the reaction produces sodium chloride (NaCl), which is a salt, and water. This can be represented by the chemical equation: HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O.
It is important to note, however, that if you were to react a strong acid with a weak base, or a weak acid with a strong base, you might not always get a neutral solution. Such neutralization reactions typically result in a solution that is slightly acidic or basic, depending on the relative strengths of the reactants. But in general, the expected products of an acid-base neutralization reaction are salt and water.