Question

Which of the following is the best description of a total ionic equation?

a. An equation that expresses strong acids with their standard formulas, e.g., hydrochloric acid as HCl(aq).
b. An equation that has no spectator ions, indicating exactly what chemical change takes place and nothing else.
c. An equation that expresses soluble ionic compounds with their standard formulas, e.g., sodium chloride as NaCl(aq).
d. An equation that expresses both soluble ionic compounds and strong acids with their standard formulas.
d. An equation that expresses both soluble ionic compounds and strong acids as ions, e.g., sodium chloride as Na⁺(aq) + Cl⁻(aq) and hydrochloric acid as H⁺(aq) + Cl⁻(aq).

Answer 1

A total ionic equation is an equation that expresses both soluble ionic compounds and strong acids as ions. It explicitly represents all dissolved ions in the reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

A total ionic equation is an equation that expresses both soluble ionic compounds and strong acids as ions. It explicitly represents all dissolved ions in the reaction. For example, the complete ionic equation for the reaction of HCl with NaOH is:

H+ (aq) + Cl¯ (aq) + Na+ (aq) + OH¯ (aq) → H₂O (l) + Na+ (aq) + Cl¯ (aq)