The eliminated ions are known as “spectator ions” which do not involve in the formation of a precipitate. The above net ionic equation indicates Chloride ions and silver cations are responsible for the formation of AgCl white precipitate and this does not include the remaining ions (Na + and NO 3 –). Na + + Cl – + Ag + + NO 3 – → AgCl + Na + + NO 3 – For the reaction between NaCl and AgNO 3, the net ionic equation can be obtained as follows. Hence, the net ionic equation does not give details about all the ionic species present in the reaction mixture. This equation can be obtained from the complete ionic equation by cancelling out the similar ions from the two sides of the complete ionic equation. The net ionic equation is a chemical equation that shows the ions participated in the formation of the final product. The molecular equation for the reaction is as below. The reaction between NaCl (sodium chloride) and AgNO 3 (silver nitrate) forms a white coloured precipitate. Let us consider an example to understand this concept. In contrast, a complete molecular equation gives the molecules take part in a chemical reaction. An ionic species is either an anion (negatively charged species) or a cation (positively charged species).
The complete ionic equation is a chemical equation that explains the chemical reaction, clearly indicating the ionic species present in a solution. Side by Side Comparison – Complete Ionic vs Net Ionic Equation in Tabular Formĥ. The key difference between Complete ionic and net ionic equation is that complete ionic equation gives all the ionic species participated in the chemical reaction whereas net ionic reaction gives the chemical species participated in the formation of the final product. Complete ionic equation and net ionic equation are two ways of representing a chemical reaction. The chemical equation shows what the reactants are and what are the products. A chemical equation is a representation of the chemical reaction using chemical symbols. The compounds that undergo a certain chemical reaction is called a reactant, and what we get at the end is called the product. Key Difference – Complete Ionic vs Net Ionic EquationĬhemical reactions are interactions between chemical compounds to form new compounds or to rearrange their chemical structure.