When a strong base reacts with a strong acid, what is the resulting solution?

When a strong base reacts with a strong acid, the resulting solution is considered neutral. This reaction is a classic acid-base neutralization, where the strong base donates hydroxide ions (OH⁻) and the strong acid donates hydrogen ions (H⁺). The hydroxide ions and hydrogen ions combine to form water (H₂O), which is neutral.

In a typical scenario, for instance, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a strong base reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCl), a strong acid, to produce sodium chloride (NaCl) and water. The complete dissociation of both the strong acid and the strong base means that all the available H⁺ and OH⁻ ions react to form neutral water. Consequently, the overall effect of mixing equal concentrations of a strong acid and a strong base results in a solution with a pH around 7, which is classified as neutral.

The other choices imply that the solution would lean towards being acidic or basic, or only partially ionized, which occurs in different types of acid-base reactions, but not in the case of strong acids and bases reacting with each other. Therefore, the correct conclusion is that the resulting solution from the reaction of a strong acid with