Acids, Bases and Making Salts
Your stomach produces acid with a pH of about 1, whilst household bleach sits at pH 13 - that's the pH scale in action! When acids (pH < 7) meet alkalis (pH > 7), they neutralise each other to make salt and water.
Bases are any chemicals that neutralise acids - they're basically insoluble alkalis. The key reaction is H⁺ + OH⁻ → H₂O, which creates neutral water (pH 7). This happens because acids contain H⁺ ions whilst alkalis contain OH⁻ ions.
You can spot acids easily - they turn blue litmus paper red. The three big players are hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and nitric acid. These pop up everywhere in your exams!
Real-World Connection: When you take an antacid for heartburn, you're literally doing a neutralisation reaction in your stomach!
Neutralisation isn't just theory - it's happening around you constantly, from treating soil acidity to making the salt on your chips!