Final answer:
The net ionic equation for the reaction between ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq) → NH3(g) + H2O(l), which shows the reaction of ammonium ions with hydroxide ions to produce ammonia gas and water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reaction between ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) can be considered as a neutralization reaction, even though NH4Cl is a weak acid. The reaction between these substances in aqueous solution can be represented by the following molecular equation:
NH4Cl (aq) + NaOH (aq) → NH3 (g) + H2O (l) + NaCl (aq)
Breaking this down into ions, the full ionic equation is:
NH4+ (aq) + Cl− (aq) + Na+ (aq) + OH− (aq) → NH3 (g) + H2O (l) + Na+ (aq) + Cl− (aq)
After cancelling out the spectator ions (Na+ and Cl−), the net ionic equation becomes:
NH4+ (aq) + OH− (aq) → NH3 (g) + H2O (l)
This equation shows that when ammonium ions (NH4+) react with hydroxide ions (OH−), ammonia gas (NH3) and water are produced.