Is a neutralization reaction a type of double displacement?

1 Answer
Apr 30, 2014

A neutralization reaction is very much like a double replacement reaction, however, in a neutralization reaction the reactants are always an acid and a base and the products are always a salt and water.

The basic reaction for a double replacement react takes the following format:

AB+CDCB+AD

we will look at an example as Sulfuric Acid and Potassium Hydroxide neutralize each other in the following reaction:

H2SO4+2KOHK2SO4+2H2O

In a neutralization reaction between an acid and a base the typical outcome is a salt formed by the positive ion from the base and the negative ion from the acid. In this case the positive potassium ion (K+) and the polyatomic sulfate (SO4) to form the salt K2SO4.

The positive hydrogen (H+) from the acid and the negative hydroxide ion (OH) from the base form the water HOH or H2O.

I hope this was helpful.
SMARTERTEACHER


Very good and well organized explanation can be found here: http://homepage.smc.edu/walker_muriel/double_displacement_reactions_procedure.htm