Final answer:
In the reaction between carbonic acid and aluminum hydroxide, hydrogen and hydroxide ions are not present in the net ionic equation, as they would likely combine to form water. Therefore, the correct answer is I (hydrogen ion) and IV (hydroxide ion), option A.
Step-by-step explanation:
When solutions of carbonic acid react with aluminum hydroxide, the products of this reaction are soluble aluminum ions (Al3+(aq)) and insoluble carbonate ions (CO32-(s)), meaning the precipitate is aluminum carbonate. In the net ionic equation, the species that appear in the same form on both the reactant and product sides of the equation are not included; these are the spectator ions. Since hydrogen ion (H+) and hydroxide ion (OH-) would both be present on the reactant side of the equation, they will not appear in the net ionic equation if they form a water molecule, which is a neutral compound.
Thus, hydrogen ion and hydroxide ion would likely be absent. Aluminum ions and carbonate ions are directly involved in forming the precipitate and thus will be present in the net ionic equation. Therefore, the correct answer to which ions are NOT present in the net ionic equation would be I (hydrogen ion) and IV (hydroxide ion), which corresponds to option A (I and IV).