What is the product when a strong acid reacts with a strong base?

When a strong acid reacts with a strong base, the primary product of this neutralization reaction is a neutral salt. In this type of reaction, the strong acid donates protons (H⁺ ions), while the strong base donates hydroxide ions (OH⁻). When these ions combine, they form water (H₂O) and a salt, which is the ionic compound formed from the cation of the base and the anion of the acid.

Neutral salts are typically characterized by having a neutral pH when dissolved in water, unlike the original strong acid or strong base, which are both strongly ionic. The resultant salt can vary in properties, but is usually stable and does not significantly alter the pH of the solution in dilute amounts.

This concept is fundamental in chemistry, especially when examining the behavior of acids and bases and their reactions, establishing how they balance each other out to form products that have different properties than the reactants.