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Net Ionic Equation Calculator
Your reactants
Try: AgNO3 + NaCl, BaCl2 + Na2SO4, Pb(NO3)2 + KI, CaCl2 + Na2CO3, or HCl + NaOH. Type formulas without spaces, for example Pb(NO3)2.
Example: AgNO3 + NaCl → Ag+ (aq) + Cl− (aq) → AgCl (s).
Behind the numbers
How a net ionic equation is calculated
A net ionic equation shows only the ions and compounds that actually change in a reaction. It is built in three steps. First, write the balanced molecular equation with full formulas. Second, split every soluble ionic compound into its ions to get the complete ionic equation — solids, liquids and gases stay together. Third, cancel the spectator ions, the ions that appear unchanged on both sides. What is left is the net ionic equation.
Worked example — silver nitrate + sodium chloride. Molecular equation: AgNO3 (aq) + NaCl (aq) → AgCl (s) + NaNO3 (aq). Complete ionic equation: Ag+ + NO3− + Na+ + Cl− → AgCl (s) + Na+ + NO3−. Na+ and NO3− appear on both sides, so they cancel. Net ionic equation: Ag+ (aq) + Cl− (aq) → AgCl (s).
Reference
Common reactions
| Reactants | Product that forms | Net ionic equation |
|---|---|---|
| AgNO3 + NaCl | AgCl (s), white solid | Ag+ + Cl− → AgCl (s) |
| BaCl2 + Na2SO4 | BaSO4 (s), white solid | Ba2+ + SO42− → BaSO4 (s) |
| Pb(NO3)2 + KI | PbI2 (s), yellow solid | Pb2+ + 2I− → PbI2 (s) |
| CaCl2 + Na2CO3 | CaCO3 (s), white solid | Ca2+ + CO32− → CaCO3 (s) |
| HCl + NaOH | H2O (l), neutralization | H+ + OH− → H2O (l) |
Tips before you use it
Balance the molecular equation first — an unbalanced equation gives a wrong ionic equation.
Only split soluble ionic compounds into ions. Solids (s), liquids (l) and gases (g) stay as whole formulas.
Use solubility rules to decide which product is the solid. If both products are soluble, there is no precipitation reaction.
Keep the charges balanced: the total charge on each side of the net ionic equation must be equal.
Strong acids and strong bases split into ions; weak acids such as acetic acid mostly stay together.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What is a net ionic equation?
It is the chemical equation that shows only the species that take part in the reaction. Spectator ions, which do not change, are left out, so the equation shows the real chemical change in the simplest form.
What are spectator ions?
Spectator ions appear in the same form on both sides of the complete ionic equation. In the silver nitrate example, Na+ and NO3− are spectators because they stay dissolved in water before and after the reaction.
What if no solid forms?
If all the products are soluble, every ion is a spectator and there is no net reaction — the mixture is just a solution of the same ions. The calculator says so instead of inventing a product.
Why is this calculator limited to common reactions?
Writing a correct ionic equation needs solubility rules and balanced formulas, which a simple tool cannot guess safely. This calculator covers five common, checked reactions and tells you honestly when a reaction is not in its list, instead of guessing a wrong answer.