What is neutralisation?

• A. An acid reacts with a base to form a salt and water.
• B. An acid reacts with a metal to release hydrogen.
• C. A base reacts with a non-metal to form a salt.
• D. A salt reacts with water to form an acid and base.

Answer: (A)

Neutralisation is an acid–base reaction where the hydrogen ions from an acid combine with hydroxide ions from a base to form water, and the remaining ions form a salt. The key idea is that the acid and base neutralize each other, giving water and a salt. For example, hydrochloric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide to produce sodium chloride and water. This process often makes the solution less acidic or less basic, especially with strong acids and bases. It’s not about acids reacting with metals to release hydrogen, nor about bases reacting with non-metals to form salts in other ways, and it isn’t when a salt plus water produces an acid and base (that’s hydrolysis, not neutralisation).