Acids can be neutralized using bases through a chemical reaction called neutralization. Acid is classified as any chemical that will give off H+ ions. Base, then, can be described as chemicals that will provide electrons. When one adds base to acid the H+ concentration is decreased thus decreasing its acidity.

Chemical Reaction:

The chemical reaction of acid plus base produces ions in water in addition to water and heat. To simplify, this interaction involves hydrogen (H+) from the acid attracting hydroxide (OH-) from the base, creating new molecules of water along with another salt composed of positively-charged metal(M+) atoms from the base bonding with negatively-charged nonmetal atoms resulting from the neutralized acid(X-).

Acid (AH) + Base (MOH) ----> Water (H2O) + Salt (MX) + Heat.