Question 4.7: WRITING IONIC AND NET IONIC EQUATIONS FOR AN ACID–BASE REACT...
WRITING IONIC AND NET IONIC EQUATIONS FOR AN ACID–BASE REACTION
Write both an ionic equation and a net ionic equation for the neutralization reaction of aqueous HBr and aqueous Ba(OH)_{2}.
STRATEGY
Hydrogen bromide is a strong acid whose aqueous solution contains H^{+} ions and Br^{-} ions. Barium hydroxide is a strong base whose aqueous solution contains Ba^{2+} and OH^{-} ions. Thus, we have a mixture of four different ions on the reactant side. Write the neutralization reaction as an ionic equation, and then cancel spectator ions to give the net ionic equation.
Ionic equation
2 H^{+}(aq) + 2 Br^{-}(aq) + Ba^{2+}(aq) + 2 OH^{-}(aq) → 2 H_{2}O(l) + 2 Br^{-}(aq) + Ba^{2+}(aq)Net ionic equation
2 H^{+}(aq) + 2 OH^{-}(aq) → 2 H_{2}O(l)or H^{+}(aq) + OH^{-}(aq) → H_{2}O(l)
The reaction of HBr with Ba(OH)_{2} involves the combination of a proton (H^{+}) from the acid with OH^{-} from the base to yield water and an aqueous salt (BaBr_{2}).