which of the following pairs of substances has the highest heat of neutralization?
Answer Details
The pair of substances that has the highest heat of neutralization is the one composed of a strong acid and a strong base.
When an acid reacts with a base, they undergo a neutralization reaction, in which an acid donates a proton (H+) to a base to form water and a salt. The heat released during this reaction is called the heat of neutralization.
Strong acids and bases are highly reactive, meaning that they will release a large amount of heat when they neutralize each other. This is because they completely dissociate in water to form ions, making their reaction highly exothermic.
On the other hand, weak acids and bases have a lower degree of dissociation and are less reactive, meaning that they will release less heat when they neutralize each other. This is because only a small fraction of the weak acid or base molecules will react, and the reaction will not be as exothermic as that of strong acids and bases.
Therefore, the highest heat of neutralization will be observed in the reaction between a strong acid and a strong base.