When performing a titration between an acid and a base, you are witnessing a neutralization reaction. In this process, an acid reacts with a base to produce water and a salt. In our case, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), a strong base, reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCl), a strong acid:
\[ \text{NaOH} + \text{HCl} \rightarrow \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{NaCl} \]
- NaOH and HCl are mixed in a 1:1 molar ratio, meaning they neutralize each other perfectly in equivalent amounts.
- The balanced equation tells us that one mole of NaOH neutralizes one mole of HCl, resulting in the formation of water (H₂O) and salt (NaCl).
This reaction is crucial in titration experiments as it helps determine an unknown concentration by adding a known concentration of another reactant until the reaction is complete.