To determine which salt is produced when sulfuric acid ([tex]\(H_2SO_4\)[/tex]) reacts with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), follow these steps:
1. Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction:
[tex]\[
H_2SO_4 + 2 \, \text{NaOH} \rightarrow \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4 + 2 \, \text{H}_2\text{O}
\][/tex]
This equation shows that one molecule of sulfuric acid reacts with two molecules of sodium hydroxide to produce one molecule of sodium sulfate and two molecules of water.
2. Identify the products of the reaction:
According to the chemical equation, the products are:
- Sodium sulfate ([tex]\( \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4 \)[/tex])
- Water ([tex]\(\text{H}_2\text{O}\)[/tex])
3. Compare the products with the given choices:
- [tex]\(K_2SO_3\)[/tex]: Potassium sulfite
- [tex]\(Na_2SO_4\)[/tex]: Sodium sulfate
- [tex]\(Na_2SO_3\)[/tex]: Sodium sulfite
- [tex]\(K_2SO_4\)[/tex]: Potassium sulfate
4. Find the correct match:
From the chemical equation, the salt produced is [tex]\( \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4 \)[/tex], which is sodium sulfate.
Therefore, the salt produced when [tex]\( H_2SO_4 \)[/tex] reacts with NaOH is [tex]\( \text{Na}_2\text{SO}_4 \)[/tex].
