Select a reaction type to see full, total ionic, and net ionic equations.
A net ionic equation shows only the species that participate in the chemical change, removing spectator ions that remain unchanged. Steps: (1) Write the balanced molecular equation. (2) Split all strong electrolytes (strong acids, strong bases, soluble salts) into their ions — this gives the total ionic equation. (3) Cancel spectator ions that appear identically on both sides. What remains is the net ionic equation. Insoluble solids, weak electrolytes, gases, and water are written in molecular form. The net ionic equation for all strong acid–strong base neutralizations is simply H⁺ + OH⁻ → H₂O. For precipitation: identify the insoluble product using solubility rules. Net ionic equations are more informative because they highlight the actual chemistry occurring.