follow-up: what determines whether or not a reaction generates heat?
In: Chemistry
You have an acid which is a solution with extra protons in it. A proton is a hydrogen atom that lost its electron. They call it a H^(+) ion. This ion will bond to a water to make a H3O^(+) Hydronium ion. These ions are have a lot of energy. You can make a battery with the solution.
On the other side of the acid/base spectrum, we are stealing a H^(+) from a water to make a OH^(-) ion. This is a hydroxide ion. These ions also have a lot of energy.
So you mix them together you get salt and water which are really stable, so the extra energy has to go somewhere so it gets released as heat.
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