Maybe the neutralization reaction The most common part of your daily life is that which occurs after eating high-calorie foods, what do you do after that Sunday lunch whose main dish was feijoada? It all starts with a burning sensation in your stomach, better known as heartburn. The solution to this problem is to ingest a stomach antacid. Know that the active principle of this medicine is nothing more than a base, such as Mg (OH)2 – magnesium hydroxide.
Definition of base: any substance that, when dissociated in water, releases the OH- anion (hydroxide) as a product.
When you ingest an antacid, it neutralizes the HCl (hydrochloric acid) responsible for heartburn. the OH ions- responsible for this effect come from the base dissociation Mg(OH)2.
Another unpleasant situation caused by the presence of acids in our body is related to our sweating. You carboxylic acids are responsible for the unpleasant odors we give off after performing physical exercise. But we present here a neutralization reaction to solve this inconvenience. Again the Hydroxide of
magnesium comes into action, it's better known as Milk of Magnesia: a creamy form that, when applied to the underarms, helps fight the unpleasant smell of sweat.Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
To get an idea of the importance of neutralization reactions, be aware that they are even used to solve problems caused by accidents on highways. Accidents such as the spill of acids is a common fact on road stretches, what to do then to solve the problem and ensure that it does not cause more inconveniences?
Let's imagine that a cart carrying sulfuric acid overturned on the road, what to use to remove the acidic effects of the environment? Solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is ideal for neutralizing acidity, so the solution would release enough NaOH to prevent the catastrophic action of sulfuric acid. Now look at the equation that represents the process:
H2ONLY4 + 2 NaOH → Na2ONLY4 + 2 H2O
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "Most common neutralizing reactions"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/reacoes-neutralizacao-mais-comuns.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
