--- title: "Acid Reactions & Salts" description: "Describe word equations for suitable metals reacting with dilute hydrochloric acid, and for acids reacting with alkalis and basic metal oxides or hydroxides. Name salts, describe the supervised hydrog" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/acid-reactions-and-salts-mt_QKRYLwaOU8 source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/acid-reactions-and-salts-mt_QKRYLwaOU8.md retrieved: 2026-11-12 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # Acid Reactions & Salts Describe word equations for suitable metals reacting with dilute hydrochloric acid, and for acids reacting with alkalis and basic metal oxides or hydroxides. Name salts, describe the supervised hydrogen test, and explain practical neutralisation. Subject: Science · Area: Matter & Materials · Ages 12 to 13 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/acid-reactions-and-salts-mt_QKRYLwaOU8 ## Ready when they can - Writes word equations for suitable metals with dilute hydrochloric acid producing salt and hydrogen, and for acids with alkalis or basic metal oxides or hydroxides producing salt and water - Names the salt formed from a given acid and base (e.g. hydrochloric acid + sodium hydroxide → sodium chloride) - Describes the squeaky-pop test for a small collected hydrogen sample in a teacher-supervised laboratory with eye protection - Explains what neutralisation means and gives a practical example (indigestion tablets, treating acidic soil) ## Lesson: Acids, salts, and neutralisation You have learned about acids and alkalis. Their reactions can produce salts. A salt is an ionic compound containing positive and negative ions. The salts here contain a metal ion and an ion from the acid, though some other salts contain no metal. A word equation lists reactants before an arrow and products after it. The arrow means 'produces'. *(drawing: HCl means hydrochloric acid. This pattern applies to suitable reactive metals, not every metal with every acid.)* **Example.** Magnesium and zinc react with dilute hydrochloric acid. For zinc: hydrochloric acid + zinc → zinc chloride + hydrogen. The bubbles are hydrogen gas. Magnesium follows the same pattern and forms magnesium chloride. Copper does not react this way with dilute hydrochloric acid. Check the stated reactants before choosing a product pattern. In a teacher-supervised laboratory, a small hydrogen sample is collected in a test tube. A lighted splint held at the tube's mouth gives a squeaky pop. Wear eye protection and follow the teacher's method. Do not try this with household chemicals. Carbon dioxide turns limewater cloudy; that is a different gas test. A base reacts with acid to reduce its acidity. An alkali is a base that dissolves in water. Common basic metal oxides and metal hydroxides react with acids to make salt and water. This is neutralisation. With hydrochloric acid, they form a metal chloride and water, not hydrogen. Sodium hydroxide solution is an alkali. Copper oxide is a base but not an alkali. Excess acid or base can leave the mixture non-neutral. *(drawing: An acid reacting with an alkali also produces a salt and water.)* **Example.** To name these salts, take the metal name from the metal or base. Hydrochloric acid gives chloride salts; sulfuric acid gives sulfate salts; nitric acid gives nitrate salts. For example: sulfuric acid + lithium hydroxide → lithium sulfate + water. You can also work backwards: a nitrate salt points to nitric acid in these reactions. Some antacids contain magnesium hydroxide, a base that reacts with stomach acid to make salt and water. Agricultural lime often contains calcium carbonate, a base used to reduce soil acidity. Carbonates react with acids to make salt, water and carbon dioxide. These bases need not be alkalis. Follow medical directions for antacids; this lesson is not advice to treat stomach pain. **Recap.** Suitable metals with dilute hydrochloric acid make salt and hydrogen. Basic oxides and hydroxides make salt and water. Carbonates also make carbon dioxide. Gas tests need teacher supervision. *Lesson, questions and flashcards written for this dataset.* ## Practice 8 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [Acids, Alkalis & pH](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/acids-alkalis-and-ph-mt_AN2kJE6I0s) ## Optional connections - [Types of Chemical Reaction](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/types-of-chemical-reaction-mt_v0K6GRi4ZL) ## Opens up - [Titration: Finding an Unknown Concentration](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/titration-finding-an-unknown-concentration-mt_7WLN35XxYx)