Our Overarching Goals:

Students appreciate applicability of science in other disciplines and in everyday life.

Students develop abilities, skills and attitudes that are relevant to the study and practice of science.
Students use the language and conventions of science to explain and communicate scientific ideas
Students recognize that the applications of science may be both beneficial and detrimental to the individual, the community and the environment.

Ngee Ann Secondary School

Secondary Three Express
Chemistry (with SPA) 5072

Name: _____________________________ ( ) Class: Sec _______

Chapter 8: 8.2 – Ionic Equations

Understanding Goals

1. Students will understand that ionic equation is a simplified chemical equation that
shows the reactions of soluble substances in water.
2. Students will understand that ionic equation shows the reaction between ions.

Remember (Knowledge)
1. What is an ionic equation?

 Ionic equation is a simplified chemical equation that shows the reactions

between ions.
2. How do we write an ionic equation?

 There are 4 main steps in writing in ionic equation, as shown in the table
below:

Step 1 Write a balanced chemical equation of the reaction. Include the state symbols!
State symbols for common substances:
 Aqueous (aq) : All acids and alkalis, soluble salts (refer to solubility table of salts given
for Chapter 12)
 Solid (s) : Insoluble salts (refer to solubility table of salts given for Chapter 12), Metals
 Liquid (l): water, solvents
 Gas (g) : oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide etc

Example:
Chemical Equation 1:
2HCl (aq) + Mg (s)  MgCl2 (aq) + H2 (g)

Chemical Equation 2:
H2SO4 (aq) + 2NaOH (aq)  Na2SO4 (aq) + 2H2O (l)

Chemical Equation 3:
Ca(NO3)2 (aq) + Na2CO3 (aq)  2NaNO3 (aq) + CaCO3 (s)
Step 2 Identify the ionic compounds that are soluble in water, in other words, the state

Page 1 of 5
 Our Overarching Goals:
Students appreciate applicability of science in other disciplines and in everyday life.
Students develop abilities, skills and attitudes that are relevant to the study and practice of science.
Students use the language and conventions of science to explain and communicate scientific ideas
Students recognize that the applications of science may be both beneficial and detrimental to the individual, the community and the environment.

symbol given to these substances is “aqueous (aq)”. These compounds become

ions in water. Rewrite the chemical equation in terms of ions.
Note:
The following substances will NOT break into its ions in solution:
 Solids such as metals, insoluble salts
 Liquids such as water
 Gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen etc

Examples:
Chemical Equation 1:
2HCl (aq) + Mg (s)  MgCl2 (aq) + H2 (g)

Chemical Equation 2:
H2SO4 (aq) + 2NaOH (aq)  Na2SO4 (aq) + 2H2O (l)

Chemical Equation 3:
Ca(NO3)2 (aq) + Na2CO3 (aq)  2NaNO3 (aq) + CaCO3 (s)

Step 3 Cancel out the spectator ions.

Spectator ions refer to ions which ions that appear on both sides of the equation.
They have very little to do with the chemical reaction

Examples:
Chemical Equation 1:
2H+ (aq) + 2Cl- (aq) + Mg (s)  Mg2+ (aq) + 2Cl- (aq) + H2 (g)

Chemical Equation 2:
2H+ (aq) + SO42- (aq) + 2Na+ (aq) + 2OH- (aq)  2Na+ (aq) + SO42- (aq) + 2H2O (l)

Chemical Equation 3:
Ca2+(aq) + 2 NO3- (aq) + 2Na+ (aq) + CO32- (aq)  2Na+ (aq) + 2NO3- (aq) + CaCO3 (s)

Step 4 Write out the ionic equations. Remember to include the state symbols in the Ionic
equations.

Ionic Equation 1: Reaction of acid with reactive metals

2H+ (aq) + Mg (s)  Mg2+ (aq) + H2 (g)
Ionic Equation 2: Reaction of acid with soluble base - Neutralization
2H+ (aq) + 2OH- (aq)  2H2O (l) --- SIMPLIFY!
H+ (aq) + OH- (aq)  H2O (l) --- FINAL IONIC EQUATION
Ionic Equation 3: Precipitation
Ca2+(aq) + CO32- (aq)  CaCO3 (s)

Page 2 of 5
 Our Overarching Goals:
Students appreciate applicability of science in other disciplines and in everyday life.
Students develop abilities, skills and attitudes that are relevant to the study and practice of science.
Students use the language and conventions of science to explain and communicate scientific ideas
Students recognize that the applications of science may be both beneficial and detrimental to the individual, the community and the environment.

Practice Exercises

Write a balanced chemical equation, followed by ionic equation, for each of the
reactions below.

1. Lithium + hydrochloric acid  Lithium chloride + hydrogen gas

Chemical Equation: 2Li(s) + 2HCl (aq)  2LiCl (aq) + H2 (g)

Ionic Equation: 2Li(s) + 2H+ (aq)  2Li+ (aq) + H2 (g)

2. Magnesium + sulfuric acid  magnesium sulfate + hydrogen gas

Chemical Equation: Mg (s) + H2SO4 (aq)  MgSO4 (aq) + H2 (g)

Ionic Equation: Mg (s) + 2H+ (aq)  Mg2+ (aq) + H2 (g)

3. Potassium hydroxide + nitric acid  potassium nitrate + water

Chemical Equation: KOH (aq) + HNO3 (aq)  KNO3 (aq) +

Ionic Equation: OH- (aq) + H+ (aq)  H2O (l)

4. copper(II) oxide + sulfuric acid  copper(II) sulfate + water

Chemical Equation: CuO (s) + H2SO4 (aq)  CuSO4 (aq) + H2O (l)

Ionic Equation: CuO (s) + 2H+ (aq)  Cu2+ (aq) + H2O (l)

5. Zinc hydroxide + hydrochloric acid  zinc chloride + water

Chemical Equation: Zn(OH)2 (s) + 2HCl (aq)  ZnCl2 + 2H2O (l)

Ionic Equation: Zn(OH)2 (s) + 2H+ (aq)  Zn2+ (aq) + 2H2O (l)

6. iron(III) carbonate + nitric acid  iron(III) nitrate + water + carbon dioxide gas

Chemical Equation: Fe2(CO3)3(s) + 6HNO3(aq)  2Fe(NO3)3 (aq) + 3H2O (l)

+ 3CO2 (g)

Page 3 of 5
 Our Overarching Goals:
Students appreciate applicability of science in other disciplines and in everyday life.
Students develop abilities, skills and attitudes that are relevant to the study and practice of science.
Students use the language and conventions of science to explain and communicate scientific ideas
Students recognize that the applications of science may be both beneficial and detrimental to the individual, the community and the environment.

Ionic Equation: Fe2(CO3)3 (s) + 6H+ (aq)  2Fe3+ (aq) + 3H2O (l) + 3CO2 (g)

7. ammonium sulfate + potassium hydroxide  potassium sulfate + water +

ammonia

Chemical Equation: (NH4)2SO4 (aq) + 2KOH (aq)  K2SO4 (aq) + 2H2O (l)
+ 2NH3 (g)

Ionic Equation: 2NH4+(aq) + 2OH- (aq)  2H2O (l) + 2NH3 (g)

NH4+(aq) + OH- (aq)  H2O (l) + NH3 (g) --- Final Ionic Equation

8. magnesium oxide + hydrochloric acid  magnesium chloride + water

Chemical Equation: MgO (s) + 2HCl (aq)  MgCl2 (aq) + H2O (l)

Ionic Equation: MgO (s) + 2H+ (aq)  Mg2+ (aq) + H2O (l)

9. silver nitrate + sodium chloride  silver chloride + sodium nitrate

Chemical Equation: AgNO3 (aq) + NaCl (aq)  AgCl (s) + NaNO3 (aq)

Ionic Equation: Ag+ (aq) + Cl- (aq)  AgCl (s)

10. lead(II) nitrate + ammonium sulfate  ammonium nitrate + lead(II) sulfate

Chemical Equation: Pb(NO3)2 (aq) + (NH4)2SO4 (aq)  2NH4NO3 (aq) + PbSO4 (s)

Ionic Equation: Pb2+ (aq) + SO42- (aq)  PbSO4 (s)

Page 4 of 5
 Our Overarching Goals:
Students appreciate applicability of science in other disciplines and in everyday life.
Students develop abilities, skills and attitudes that are relevant to the study and practice of science.
Students use the language and conventions of science to explain and communicate scientific ideas
Students recognize that the applications of science may be both beneficial and detrimental to the individual, the community and the environment.

*** End of Paper ***

Page 5 of 5