Question

What is the balanced equation for the reaction between acetic acid and $NaOH$ ?

Answer 1

Hint : We know that, Acetic Acid with molecular formula $C{H_3}COOH$ is considered as weak acid as it gets partially dissociated in aqueous solution while Sodium Hydroxide with chemical formula $NaOH$ is considered as a strong base. So here, an acid is reacting with base and this type of reaction is known as neutralisation reaction.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
So, Sodium Hydroxide with chemical formula $NaOH$ is considered as a strong base and Acetic Acid with molecular formula $C{H_3}COOH$ is considered as weak acid as it gets partially dissociated in aqueous solution.
Therefore, we know that the reaction between Acetic acid and Sodium hydroxide is an acid-base reaction which is also known as “neutralisation reaction”.
When an acid and a base react with each other, two products are formed which are a salt and water molecule.
Therefore, the chemical reaction between Acetic acid and Sodium hydroxide is given as:-
$C{H_3}COOH + NaOH \to C{H_3}COONa + {H_2}O$
Therefore, as we can see, on reaction of Acetic acid with Sodium hydroxide, a salt is formed which is Sodium acetate with chemical formula $C{H_3}COONa$ and a water molecule is also formed.
A chemical equation in which the number of atoms of all the elements are equal on both reactants and products side is known as balanced chemical reaction and if the number of atoms on both sides are not equal then the reaction is unbalanced chemical reaction.
Hence, in order to find whether the above reaction is balanced or not, we have to check the number of atoms of each element on both reactants and products. In this case Carbon, oxygen, Sodium and hydrogen atoms are balanced on both sides, so we can say that the above reaction is a balanced chemical reaction.
Hence, the balanced equation for the reaction between acetic acid and $NaOH$ is:-
$C{H_3}COOH + NaOH \to C{H_3}COONa + {H_2}O$

Note :
There is a reverse reaction of neutralisation which is known as hydrolysis. So, the hydrolysis reaction of Sodium acetate salt is: - $C{H_3}COONa + {H_2}O \to C{H_3}COOH + NaOH$ .
The pH of the salt formed from above reaction will be greater than $7$ because, Sodium hydroxide is a strong base and Acetic acid is a weak acid and the salt (Sodium acetate) formed will be basic in nature.