This reaction represents a neutralization reaction in liquid sulfur dioxide. It makes no difference that
the solvent does not ionize or that SOCl 2 is a covalent molecule. The utility of the solvent concept is
not that it correctly predicts that solvents undergo some autoionization. The value of the solvent concept
is that it allows us to correctly predict how reactions would take place if the solvent ionized. Note
that in this case SOCl 2 does not ionize, but if it did it would produce SO 2 (the acidic species characteristic
of the solvent) and Cl .