Sure, let's analyze the process of neutralization between a strong acid and a strong base.
1. Understanding Neutralization: Neutralization is a chemical reaction in which an acid and a base react to form water and a salt. For strong acids and strong bases, the reaction typically proceeds completely.
2. Components of Strong Acids and Bases:
- Strong acids like HCl (hydrochloric acid) dissociate completely in water to give [tex]\( H ^{+} \)[/tex] ions and [tex]\( Cl^{-} \)[/tex] ions.
- Strong bases like NaOH (sodium hydroxide) dissociate completely in water to give [tex]\( Na^{+} \)[/tex] ions and [tex]\( OH^{-} \)[/tex] ions.
3. Reaction Process: When the [tex]\( H ^{+} \)[/tex] ions from the acid react with the [tex]\( OH^{-} \)[/tex] ions from the base, they combine to form water ( [tex]\( H _2 O \)[/tex] ).
The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:
[tex]\[
H^{+} (aq) + OH^{-} (aq) \rightarrow H _2 O (l).
\][/tex]
4. Result of the Neutralization: From the balanced chemical equation, it is evident that the predominant product of the neutralization reaction between a strong acid and a strong base is [tex]\( H _2 O \)[/tex] (water) molecules.
Given this analysis, the correct answer to the question is:
A. [tex]\( H _2 O \)[/tex] molecules.
