CH 9.

1 Reactions of Ions in Solution

The barium sulfate required to make a “barium meal” which is consumed prior to an
x-ray of the gastrointestinal tract, can be produced in the laboratory by mixing
solutions of barium chloride with sodium sulfate. The chemical equation for this
reaction is:

BaCl2 (aq) + Na2SO4 (aq) → BaSO4(s) + 2NaCl (aq) (Formula Equation)

● Recall that we can predict whether a compound precipitates or remains

dissolved by using the solubility table.

● However, the formula equation can be misleading because three out of the
four compounds are soluble and are dissociated into ions, therefore they do
not exist as an intact compound in the solution.

● So, there is another way to represent this reaction;

Total Ionic Equation: a chemical equation in which all highly soluble ionic
compounds are written as dissociated ions.

● Like all chemical equations, the total ionic equation must be balanced.
1. The total number of atoms of each element must be the same on both
sides
2. The sum of the charges must also be equal on both sides

● Notice that the sodium chloride ions show up on both sides of the equation
unchanged.

Spectator Ions: ions that are not involved in a chemical reaction.

These ions can be omitted from the equation to give a simpler equation called;

Net Ionic Equation: a chemical equation that includes only the entities that
react.
 ● Ionic equations are not limited to double displacement reactions. They can
also be applied to single displacement as well, except the activity series
must be used to determine if the reaction occurs.

Writing Total and Net Ionic Equations

1. Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction

2. Use the solubility table/ activity series to determine whether a compound
precipitates
3. Write the total ionic equation by showing all the soluble compounds as ions
4. Cancel the spectator ions
5. Write the net ionic equation.

Example 1: Write the total and net ionic equations for the reaction between lead (II)
nitrate solution and potassium iodide solution.

Example 2: Write the total and net ionic equations for the reaction between
aluminum metal in a solution of iron (II) chloride.

PRACTICE: p.427 # 1-2