Write a balanced net ionic equation for the reaction between sodium acetate and HCIO

Write a balanced net ionic equation for the reaction between sodium acetate and HCIO

The correct answer and explanation is:

The reaction between sodium acetate (NaOAc) and hypochlorous acid (HClO) can be analyzed by considering the dissociation of these compounds in water and the interactions that occur between the ions.

First, sodium acetate dissociates into sodium ions (Na⁺) and acetate ions (OAc⁻). Hypochlorous acid (HClO) is a weak acid, so it does not fully dissociate but rather exists in equilibrium with its conjugate base, the hypochlorite ion (ClO⁻), and a proton (H⁺).

When these two substances react, the acetate ion (OAc⁻) can react with the proton (H⁺) from HClO to form acetic acid (CH₃COOH). The hypochlorite ion (ClO⁻) can combine with H⁺ to form hypochlorous acid (HClO), completing the reaction.

To write the balanced net ionic equation:

1. Write the dissociation equations:
   • Sodium acetate dissociates as:
     NaOAc → Na⁺ + OAc⁻
   • Hypochlorous acid dissociates as:
     HClO ⇌ H⁺ + ClO⁻
2. Reaction between acetate and hypochlorous acid:
   • The acetate ion reacts with the proton to form acetic acid:
     OAc⁻ + H⁺ → CH₃COOH
   • The hypochlorite ion reacts with H⁺ to form HClO:
     ClO⁻ + H⁺ → HClO
3. Write the overall net ionic equation: OAc⁻ + HClO → CH₃COOH + ClO⁻

This is the balanced net ionic equation. The sodium ions (Na⁺) are spectator ions and do not participate in the reaction. Therefore, they are excluded from the net ionic equation.

Explanation:

In this reaction, acetate (OAc⁻) acts as a base, accepting a proton from HClO, which is a weak acid. This results in the formation of acetic acid (CH₃COOH) and hypochlorite (ClO⁻). The reaction demonstrates a typical acid-base exchange mechanism where the proton (H⁺) from the acid (HClO) is transferred to the base (OAc⁻), leading to the formation of the corresponding acid and base conjugates.