1. Identify the strong electrolytes:
* NaOH(aq): Sodium hydroxide is a strong base, meaning it completely ionizes in solution.
* HCl(aq): Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid, also completely ionizing in solution.
* NaCl(aq): Sodium chloride is a soluble salt, so it fully dissociates in solution.
2. Write the complete ionic equation:
Break down the strong electrolytes into their respective ions:
* NaOH(aq) → Na+(aq) + OH-(aq)
* HCl(aq) → H+(aq) + Cl-(aq)
* NaCl(aq) → Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq)
3. Combine the ions and include water:
Na+(aq) + OH-(aq) + H+(aq) + Cl-(aq) → H2O(l) + Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq)
4. Cancel out spectator ions:
Spectator ions are those that appear on both sides of the equation and don't participate in the reaction. In this case, Na+ and Cl- are spectator ions.
Final Complete Ionic Equation:
OH-(aq) + H+(aq) → H2O(l)
