The net ionic equation for the reaction between chromium (III) hydroxide and nitrous acid is:
Cr(OH)₃ (s) + 3H⁺ (aq) ⇒ Cr³⁺ (aq) + 3H₂O (l)
Additional Details
An electrolyte dissociates into ions in solution.
Chemical equations can also be represented with ionic species.
Strong electrolytes (fully ionized) are written as separate ions, whereas weak electrolytes (partially ionized) remain as intact molecules.
In ionic equations, spectator ions are those unchanged by the chemical process—they are present both before and after the reaction.
Removing these spectators results in the net ionic equation.
Gases, solids, and water (H₂O) are written as molecules, without ionization.
Therefore, only dissolved compounds are represented by their ions (aq).
The problem involves chromium (III) hydroxide reacting with nitrous acid.
The reaction occurring is:
Cr(OH)₃ (s) + 3HNO₂ (aq) ⇒ Cr(NO₂)₃ (aq) + 3H₂O (l)
Chromium (III) hydroxide is a solid and remains un-ionized, as does water.
Thus, the ionic equation is:
Cr(OH)₃ (s) + 3H⁺ (aq) + 3NO₂⁻ (aq) ⇒ Cr³⁺ (aq) + 3NO₂⁻ (aq) + 3H₂O (l)
The ion 3NO₂⁻ is a spectator ion; removing it yields the net ionic equation:
Cr(OH)₃ (s) + 3H⁺ (aq) ⇒ Cr³⁺ (aq) + 3H₂O (l)
