What is the net ionic equation for the reaction between silver nitrate and sodium chloride in aqueous solution?

• A. Ag+ + NO3- + Na+ + Cl- -> AgCl(s) + Na+ + NO3-
• B. AgNO3 + NaCl -> AgCl + NaNO3
• C. Ag+ + Cl- -> AgCl(s)
• D. Ag+ + NO3- -> AgNO3(s) + Cl-

Answer: (C)

The net ionic equation shows only the species that actually change during the reaction, removing any ions that just sit in solution as spectators.

In aqueous solution, both silver nitrate and sodium chloride dissociate into ions: Ag+, NO3-, Na+, and Cl-. The reaction that occurs is the combination of Ag+ with Cl- to form the insoluble solid silver chloride, while the other ions (Na+ and NO3-) stay dissolved. When you cancel those spectator ions from the full ionic form, you’re left with Ag+ + Cl- → AgCl(s).

That’s why the solid product is shown as AgCl(s) and why only the reacting ions appear in the net ionic equation. The other representations either include all ions (not net) or imply a solid form that doesn’t occur (soluble AgNO3); hence they don’t represent the net ionic change.