If a snake bites us, we must urgently neutralize its venom.
Some examples
For example: "To neutralize the venom of this snake, we need a specific antidote that is not available in this hospital" , "According to scientists, the treatment could neutralize the disease in most cases" , "The battalion of the "The north managed to neutralize the enemy's advance, but in the south the situation is very different."
The bite of a venomous snake can bring different negative consequences for humans, including death in the worst case. For this reason, it is recommended not to approach their habitats without the company of someone who knows how to neutralize their poison or who, at least, can quickly take us to a health center where they can urgently treat us.
Take the case of the economic policy of a country. The authorities decide to establish a fixed exchange rate , applying a significant devaluation to the local currency. In this way, they favor exports . The devaluation, in turn, threatens imports , which are necessary for many companies that work with foreign inputs. Faced with this reality, a tax compensation mechanism is created for these companies that aims to neutralize the harmful effects of the measure taken . This means that the problems that these firms suffer when importing are corrected or minimized with tax benefits.
More applications
Neutralizing the attack of a sports team, to mention another possibility, refers to finding the tools to prevent it from doing harm. In soccer , neutralizing the offense means preventing the opponent from scoring goals.
In the field of chemistry , meanwhile, to neutralize a solution is to make it neutral . Therefore, this process involves ensuring that the solution has a pH of 7 . With a pH greater than 7 it would be an alkaline solution , while if the pH is lower than 7 it is an acidic solution .
Neutralization reaction
Another name by which this type of chemical reaction is known is acid-base , since it takes place precisely between an acid and a base. The product of such a thermodynamic process is sodium . Generally, neutralization reactions generate energy in the form of heat, meaning they are exothermic . It is worth mentioning that there are various definitions for this concept and those associated with it.
The name refers to the neutralizing action that each of the two components performs with the other. One way to understand it is as a synonym for "elimination" or "annihilation" , which is not far from what happens during the chemical reaction. When mixing an acid with a base, the degree of reaction of each is linked especially to its volume and concentration; For example, if the acid is stronger than the base, the former completely neutralizes it and a part of it remains in solution.
The neutralization reaction recognizes several possible outcomes
Beyond the example just given, it is possible to consider three possibilities that arise from a neutralization reaction, as can be seen below:
* mix an acid and a base that are strong. In this case, the species that is present in the greatest quantity will remain in solution;
* mix a strong base with a weak acid: the result will be a basic solution, because the base remains in the solution;
* mix an acid and a base that are weak. Here the variables that influence the acidity of the solution are both the concentrations of both species and the acidity constant of the first.