A beaker of nitric acid is neutralized with calcium hydroxide. Write a balanced molecular equation and a net ionic equation for his reaction
To write the balanced molecular equation and net ionic equation for the neutralization reaction between nitric acid (HNO3) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), we need to follow a few steps:
Step 1: Identify the reactants and products
The reactants are nitric acid (HNO3) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2).
The products will be calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2) and water (H2O).
Step 2: Write the balanced molecular equation
The balanced molecular equation is a chemical equation that shows the complete chemical formulas of the reactants and products. To balance it, we need to make sure there is an equal number of atoms on both sides of the equation.
HNO3 + Ca(OH)2 → Ca(NO3)2 + H2O
Step 3: Write the net ionic equation
The net ionic equation focuses on the ions involved in the reaction and removes the spectator ions, which are not directly involved in the reaction.
First, we need to write the dissociation of the reactants:
HNO3 (aq) → H+ (aq) + NO3- (aq)
Ca(OH)2 (aq) → Ca2+ (aq) + 2OH- (aq)
Now we can write the net ionic equation by eliminating the spectator ions:
H+ (aq) + OH- (aq) → H2O
Therefore, the balanced net ionic equation for the reaction is:
H+ (aq) + OH- (aq) → H2O
This equation represents the actual chemical change that occurs during the neutralization reaction, as it focuses only on the ions directly involved.