When we neutralize a weak base with a strong acid, the product is ________ containing the conjugate acid of the weak base.
water
an electron
an ion
salt
Salts of Weak Bases and Strong Acids When we neutralize a weak base with a strong acid, the product is a salt containing the conjugate acid of the weak base. This conjugate acid is a weak acid. For example, ammonium chloride, NH4Cl, is a salt formed by the reaction of the weak base ammonia with the strong acid HCl: NH 3(aq) + HCl(aq) ⟶ NH 4 Cl(aq) A solution of this salt contains ammonium ions and chloride ions. The chloride ion has no effect on the acidity of the solution since HCl is a strong acid. Chloride is a very weak base and will not accept a proton to a measurable extent. However, the ammonium ion, the conjugate acid of ammonia, reacts with water and increases the hydronium ion concentration: NH 4 +(aq) + H 2 O(l) ⇌ H 3 O +(aq) + NH 3(aq) The equilibrium equation for this reaction is simply the ionization constant. Ka, for the acid NH 4 + :.