What is the reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide known to produce?

The reaction between hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a classic example of an acid-base neutralization reaction. When hydrochloric acid, which is a strong acid, reacts with sodium hydroxide, a strong base, they combine to form sodium chloride (NaCl), which is table salt, and water (H2O).

This neutralization process can be summarized by the chemical equation:

[ \text{HCl} + \text{NaOH} \rightarrow \text{NaCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O} ]

In this reaction, the hydrogen ion (H⁺) from the hydrochloric acid combines with the hydroxide ion (OH⁻) from the sodium hydroxide to form water. The remaining sodium ion (Na⁺) and chloride ion (Cl⁻) come together to form sodium chloride.

The formation of water and salt is characteristic of many neutralization reactions between acids and bases. The other options do not accurately represent the products of this specific reaction. For instance, hydrogen gas is not produced because there are no metal or non-metal ions that would reduce the hydrogen ions in this specific acid-base reaction. Carbon dioxide is also