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      Chemical reactions: neutralisation

      I can describe what happens during a neutralisation reaction and write word and symbol equations to represent different neutralisation reactions.

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      Lesson 6 of 7
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      • Year 9

      Chemical reactions: neutralisation

      I can describe what happens during a neutralisation reaction and write word and symbol equations to represent different neutralisation reactions.

      Lesson details

      Key learning points

      1. Neutralisation reaction general equation is: base + acid → metal salt + water.
      2. Sodium hydroxide has the formula NaOH(aq) and hydrochloric acid has the formula HCl(aq).
      3. In a neutralisation reaction, the metal salt formed is named after the metal (from the base) and acid used.
      4. Common bases include metal oxides and hydroxides.
      5. (s), (l), (g) and (aq) in chemical equations identify the state of each substance as solid, liquid, gas or in solution.

      Keywords

      • Neutralisation - When a chemical reaction takes place between an acid and base to produce a neutral solution of a metal salt and water.

      • Metal salt - A compound formed when an acid reacts with a base.

      • Aqueous solution (aq) - Formed when a substance is dissolved in water.

      Common misconception

      Pupils often do not understand what neutralisation is i.e. exactly the correct quantities of components from the acid and base combined to form water.

      It is worth emphasising that water is formed and it is this which is neutral as it contains the hydrogen and oxygen atoms from the acid and base.

      When carrying out neutralisation pupils often miss neutral as they do not add the alkali one drop at a time. Demonstrate how to 'shake' the test tube safely from side to side to mix the acid and alkali after each drop. Use tables in additional material to help pupils with Task B part 4.
      Teacher tip

      Equipment

      Test tubes, test tube rack, plastic pipettes, dilute acid, dilute alkali, universal indicator solution in dropper bottles, universal indicator colour scale.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What colour does universal indicator turn when a solution is neutral?

      Correct answer: green
      yellow
      blue
      orange
      red

      Q2.
      Match the following key terms to their definitions.

      Correct Answer:metal oxide,metal atoms bonded to oxygen atoms
      Correct Answer:non–metal oxide,non–metal atoms bonded to oxygen atoms
      Correct Answer:adding in excess,reactant is present in greater amounts than needed to completely react
      Correct Answer:insoluble,will not dissolve in a solvent

      Q3.
      The reaction between a metal oxide and an acid is known as a reaction.

      Correct Answer: neutralisation

      Q4.
      Match the following chemical names to their symbols.

      Correct Answer:sodium,Na
      Correct Answer:sulfur,S
      Correct Answer:hydrochloric acid,HCl
      Correct Answer:metal oxide,CuO
      Correct Answer:non–metal oxide,SO₂

      Q5.
      Which of the following is the name of the metal salt that is formed when sodium hydroxide reacts with nitric acid?

      Correct answer: sodium nitrate
      sodium nitrogen
      nitric hydroxide
      nitrogen oxide
      sodium nitride

      Q6.
      Which of the following statements about bases and alkalis are correct?

      Correct answer: An alkali is a base that is soluble in water.
      Correct answer: A base is a substance that can react with acid and neutralise it.
      A base is always insoluble.
      An alkali has a pH of less than 7.

      Assessment exit quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the following state symbols to the correct state of matter of a substance in a chemical equation.

      Correct Answer:(s),solid
      Correct Answer:(l),liquid
      Correct Answer:(g),gas
      Correct Answer:(aq),dissolved in water

      Q2.
      Sodium hydroxide is an alkali. When it reacts with hydrochloric acid, sodium chloride is formed. Which of the following words can be used to describe sodium chloride?

      element
      Correct answer: compound
      mixture
      base
      Correct answer: metal salt

      Q3.
      Which of the following is the correct meaning of the state symbol (aq) in a chemical equation?

      It stands for 'aqua' which means water.
      Correct answer: It stands for 'aqueous' which means a substance is dissolved in water.
      It means the same as liquid (l).

      Q4.
      Which of the following chemicals could be used to neutralise an acid?

      Correct answer: copper oxide
      Correct answer: sodium hydroxide
      sodium chloride
      phosphorus oxide

      Q5.
      In a neutralisation reaction, the metal salt produced is named after the metal (base) and the acid used. What is the name and chemical formula of the metal salt formed when nitric acid is used?

      Correct answer: metal nitrate (NO₃)
      metal nitric (HNO₃)
      metal nitrous (N₂O)
      metal nitrogen (N₂)

      Q6.
      Use the general equation base + acid → metal salt + water to select the correct chemical equation for the reaction between sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid.

      NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H₂O(aq)
      Correct answer: NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H₂O(l)
      NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) → NaCl(s) + H₂O(l)
      NaOH(aq) + HCl(l) → NaCl(aq) + H₂O(aq)

      Lesson appears in

      UnitScience / Acids and bases

      Science

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