A king once condemned a prisoner and wanted to give him a very harsh punishment. He keeps a glass containing some hydrochloric acid and another containing an equal amount of sodium hydroxide before the prisoner and asks him to drink both of them. The prisoner knows that the acid is highly corrosive and will destroy the mucous lining, as well as his oesophagus.
The other solution is equally bad and will cause him to collapse. But he goes ahead and obeys the order. The king finds that the prisoner has survived without any ill effects.
How did he manage it?
Answer:
The prisoner understood the chemical reactions well. He knew that an acid is always neutralized by an alkali. So he poured the liquids in the two glasses into a third empty glass. When they thus got mixed, they reacted producing salt and water. These were harmless, except for the salty taste!
HCl + NaOH = H 2 O + NaCl
-Team ScienceNow
