Question

Give two examples from everyday life of the neutralization reaction.

Answer 1

Neutralization reaction has applications in daily life:

1. Self-defence by animals and plants through chemical warfare:
   Bee stings are acidic; a household remedy for a bee sting is baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, which is a basic substance. A wasp stings are mildly basic; a household remedy for this will be vinegar, also known as acetic acid. These simple treatments ease these painful stings by a process called neutralization.
2. pH in our digestive system:
   An acidic stomach, due to eating too much spicy food can be relieved by taking an antacid. The antacid is alkaline/basic in nature and helps to neutralize the stomach's acidity, or you may take magnesium hydroxide (Milk of magnesia) and sodium hydrogen carbonate (Baking soda).
3. pH change as the cause of tooth decay:
   When we eat food containing sugar, the bacteria present in our mouth break down the sugar to form acids (such as lactic acid). Thus, acid is formed in the mouth after digestion. This will lead to the cause of tooth decay. The best way to prevent tooth decay is to clean the mouth after eating food with toothpaste, which is basic in nature. This will result in the neutralization of an acid by a base. 
4. Soil pH and plant growth:
   Most plants grow best when the pH of the soil is close to 7. That's neural. If the soil is too acidic or too basic (alkaline), the plants grow badly. The acidic soil is neutralized by treatment with materials like quicklime (calcium oxide), slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) or chalk (calcium carbonate). If the soil is too basic, then alkalinity can be reduced by adding decaying organic matter (manure or composite), which contains acidic materials.