H₂SO₄ + 2NaOH → Na₂SO₄ + 2H₂O
Here's a breakdown:
* H₂SO₄ is sulfuric acid, a strong acid.
* NaOH is sodium hydroxide, a strong base.
* Na₂SO₄ is sodium sulfate, a salt.
* H₂O is water, the byproduct of the reaction.
Explanation:
This is a neutralization reaction where an acid and a base react to form a salt and water. The reaction is balanced because:
* There are 2 hydrogen atoms on each side of the equation.
* There are 2 sodium atoms on each side.
* There is 1 sulfur atom on each side.
* There are 4 oxygen atoms on each side.