What is the complete ionic equation for the reaction of hydrochloric acid with potassium hydroxide?

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Answer 1 · 2016-12-05T02:03:10

# H^+ + Cl^- + K^+ + OH^- = K^+ Cl^- + H_2O#

Hydrochloric acid is HCl. This is an ionic substance so in water it breaks apart into ions # H^+ + Cl_- #

Potassium Hydroxide is also an ionic substance it also breaks apart in water into ions #K^+ + OH^- #

So the complete ionic equation for the reaction is

# H^+ + Cl^- + K^+ + OH^- = K^+ + Cl^- + H_2O#

The Hydrogen ion and the Hydroxide ions combine to form water.

The net ionic equation is

#H^+ + OH^- = H_2O#

This is because the # Cl^- + K^+# ions do not undergo any changes therefore are not part of the net ionic equation.