Final answer:
Strong acids completely dissociate in water, leading to a universal net ionic equation for their reactions with strong bases, involving H+ combining with OH- to form water. Weak acids only partially dissociate, so their net ionic equations will show the weak acid reacting with OH- to produce water and the conjugate base. The acid or base's strength affects the pH of the resultant solution after neutralization.
Step-by-step explanation:
Comparing Net Ionic Equations of Strong and Weak Acids
In chemical reactions, strong acids and weak acids behave differently when reacting with bases. Strong acids such as HCl dissociate completely in water, producing H+(aq) ions and their corresponding anions (Cl-(aq) in the case of HCl). This results in a net ionic equation that is always the same for neutralization reactions with strong Arrhenius bases, typically involving the transfer of H+ to OH- to form H2O.
Conversely, weak acids do not fully dissociate in water; they only partially ionize, forming both ions and undissociated molecules in solution. The net ionic equation for a reaction involving a weak acid and a strong base reflects this partial dissociation and usually features the weak acid (HA) reacting with OH- to yield H2O and the conjugate base (A-).
For example, when acetic acid (HC2H3O2) reacts with NaOH, the net ionic equation would be HC2H3O2(aq) + OH-(aq) → H2O(l) + C2H3O2-(aq).
The strength of the acid or base thus determines the resulting pH of the solution after neutralization; a strong acid with a weak base results in a weakly acidic solution, while a weak acid with a strong base results in a weakly basic solution.