To determine which substances are the reactants in the given chemical equation, we need to identify the substances that participate in the reaction before the reaction occurs. The general form of a chemical equation is:
[tex]\[ \text{Reactants} \rightarrow \text{Products} \][/tex]
Here is the given chemical equation:
[tex]\[ \text{HCl} + \text{NaOH} \rightarrow \text{NaCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \][/tex]
In this equation:
- The reactants are the substances present on the left side of the arrow (before the reaction takes place).
- The products are the substances on the right side of the arrow (after the reaction takes place).
From the equation, we can see:
- The reactants are [tex]\( \text{HCl} \)[/tex] and [tex]\( \text{NaOH} \)[/tex]
- The products are [tex]\( \text{NaCl} \)[/tex] and [tex]\( \text{H}_2\text{O} \)[/tex]
Now, let's examine the options provided:
- [tex]\( \text{HCl} \)[/tex] and [tex]\( \text{NaCl} \)[/tex]: This option is incorrect because [tex]\( \text{NaCl} \)[/tex] is a product, not a reactant.
- [tex]\( \text{NaCl} \)[/tex] and [tex]\( \text{H}_2 \text{O} \)[/tex]: This option is incorrect because both [tex]\( \text{NaCl} \)[/tex] and [tex]\( \text{H}_2 \text{O} \)[/tex] are products.
- [tex]\( \text{HCl} \)[/tex] and [tex]\( \text{NaOH} \)[/tex]: This option is correct because [tex]\( \text{HCl} \)[/tex] and [tex]\( \text{NaOH} \)[/tex] are the reactants in the given equation.
- [tex]\( \text{NaOH} \)[/tex] and [tex]\( \text{H}_2 \text{O} \)[/tex]: This option is incorrect because [tex]\( \text{H}_2 \text{O} \)[/tex] is a product, not a reactant.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
[tex]\[ \text{HCl} \text{ and } \text{NaOH} \][/tex]
