Net ionic equations demonstrate only the chemical species directly involved in a reaction, excluding spectator ions that do not participate. To create a net ionic equation, one must recognize ions, apply solubility rules, and remove spectator ions from the complete ionic equation. An example illustrates this process through the reaction between barium nitrate and sodium carbonate, resulting in the net ionic equation: Ba²⁺ (aq) + CO3²⁻ (aq) → BaCO3 (s).

1. Net Ionic Equations

2. Net-ionic Equations
 Net ionic equations are useful in that they show only
those chemical species directly participating in a chemical
reaction
 The keys to being able to write net ionic equations are
the ability to recognize monatomic and polyatomic ions,
the solubility rules, and the rules for electrolyte behavior.

3. Net ionic equations
 Complete ionic equations
 An ionic equation that shows all of the particles in a solution
as they realistically exist
 2 Na+
(aq) + 2OH- (aq) + Cu+2
(aq) + 2Cl-
(aq) 
2 Na +
(aq) + 2 Cl-
(aq) + Cu(OH)2 (s)
 Note that the sodium ions and the chloride ions are both
reactants and products, therefore they do not participate in
the reaction
 Ions that do not participate in the reaction are called spectator ions

4. Net-ionic Equations
 Ionic equations that include only the particles that
participate in the reaction are called net ionic
equations
 Net ionic equations are written form complete ionic
equations by crossing out all spectator ions
 Example:
 2 Na+
(aq) + 2OH- (aq) + Cu+2
(aq) + 2Cl-
(aq) 
2 Na +
(aq) + 2 Cl-
(aq) + Cu(OH)2 (s)

5. Net-ionic Equations
 A net ionic equation is what remains after the sodium
and chloride ions are crossed out of this complete ionic
equation
 2OH-
(aq) + Cu +2
(aq)  Cu(OH)2
 Only the hydroxide and copper ions are left in the net
ionic equation shown above

6. Example:
 Write the chemical, complete ionic, and net ionic
equations for the rxn between aqueous solutions of
barium nitrate and sodium carbonate that forms the
precipitate barium carbonate.
 Complete Ionic Equation:
 Ba(NO3)2 (aq) + Na2CO3 (aq)  BaCO3 (s) + NaNO3 (aq)
 Balance the equation above:
 Ba(NO3)2(aq) + Na2CO3 (aq) + BaCO3 (s) + 2 NaNO3 (aq)

7. Example continued:
 Show the ionic states of the reactants and products
 Ba+2
(aq) + 2NO3
-
(aq) + 2Na+
+ CO3
-2
(aq) 
BaCO3 (s) + 2 Na+
(aq) + 2NO3
-
(aq)
 Cross out the spectator ions from the complete ionic
equation:
 Ba+2
(aq) + 2NO3
-
(aq) + 2Na+
+ CO3
-2
(aq) 
BaCO3 (s) + 2 Na+
(aq) + 2NO3
-
(aq)

8. Example continued:
 The net ionic equation is:
 Ba+2
(aq) + CO3
-2
(aq)  BaCO3 (s)