Question about acid/base neutralization

[SephirothXR]

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If I have 1 mol HCl and .5mol Ca(OH)2, is that a complete neutralization since there are two equivalent moles of OH for each mole of acid?

 

[salim271]

Ca(OH)2 is only slightly soluble in water, so that doesnt work here. If it was a strong base, what you're asking is does 1 + (.5 x -2) = 0, then yes, it does.

Edit: Note that there are not two equivalent moles, there is only one. An equivalent is defined as one mole, if the compound completely dissociated, there would only be 1 mole of OH, and therefore only one equivalent.

 

[bullsfan1986]

Eh, calcium hydroxide is a strong base. The OP's reasoning is correct..2 mol of HCl is needed to neutralize 1 mol of Ca(OH)2

 

[salim271]

Eh, calcium hydroxide is a strong base. The OP's reasoning is correct..2 mol of HCl is needed to neutralize 1 mol of Ca(OH)2

I checked, it has a Ksp of 7.9x10^-6. Group 2A metals only form slightly soluble compounds with hydroxide, they arent like Group 1A.

 

[bullsfan1986]

I guess looking at it closer, Ca(OH)2 is kind of a weird base to classify. My reasoning behind it being a strong base (based purely on the B-L theory) is that because a small portion of Ca(OH)2 that does dissociate in to water, hydroxide ions are in fact released and in to aqueous solution and thus you are getting a solution that is strongly basic albeit dilute.