# How many moles of "NaOH" were used to neutralize 0.0220 moles of "HCl" if the mole ratio is "1/1" ?

Apr 3, 2018

The mole ratio is your tool of choice here!

#### Explanation:

As its name suggests, the mole ratio that exists between sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid tells you the ratio that exists between the number of moles of sodium hydroxide and the number of moles of hydrochloric acid consumed when this reaction takes place.

A $1 : 1$ mole ratio basically means that the reaction consumes equal numbers of moles of sodium hydroxide and of hydrochloric acid. In other words, for every $1$ mole of sodium hydroxide that takes part in the reaction, you need $1$ mole of hydrochloric acid to neutralize it.

This mole ratio is actually given by the balanced chemical equation that describes this neutralization reaction.

overbrace("NaOH"_ ((aq)))^(color(blue)("1 mole consumed")) + overbrace("HCl"_ ((aq)))^(color(blue)("1 mole consumed")) -> overbrace("NaCl"_ ((aq)))^(color(blue)("1 mole produced")) + overbrace("H"_ 2"O"_ ((l)))^(color(blue)("1 mole produced"))

So for every reaction that takes place between sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid, you know that

$\text{moles of NaOH consumed"/"moles of HCl consumed} = \frac{1}{1} = 1$

So if the reaction consumed $0.0220$ moles of hydrochloric acid, what can you say about the number of moles of sodium hydroxide it consumed?

$\text{?? moles NaOH consumed"/"0.0220 moles of HCl consumed} = 1$