What do we call the chemical reaction where an acid and a base react to form salt and water?

The term used to describe the chemical reaction where an acid reacts with a base to produce salt and water is known as neutralization. In this process, the acidic properties of the acid and the basic properties of the base cancel each other out, resulting in the formation of a salt and water, which are generally neutral substances.

Neutralization reactions are significant in various applications, including titrations, where the precise reaction between an acid and a base is used to determine the concentration of one of the solutions. This type of reaction can be represented by a general equation such as:

[ \text{Acid} + \text{Base} \rightarrow \text{Salt} + \text{Water} ]

In contrast, combustion refers to a reaction where a substance combines with oxygen, typically producing heat and light; synthesis involves the combination of two or more substances to form a more complex substance; and decomposition involves breaking down a substance into simpler components. These processes are distinct from neutralization, which focuses specifically on the interaction between an acid and a base.