To balance the chemical equation for the reaction of calcium hydroxide ([tex]$\text{Ca(OH)}_2$[/tex]) and nitric acid ([tex]$\text{HNO}_3$[/tex]), let's proceed step-by-step.
First, write the unbalanced reaction:
[tex]\[\text{Ca(OH)}_2 + \text{HNO}_3 \rightarrow \text{Products}\][/tex]
When [tex]$\text{Ca(OH)}_2$[/tex] reacts with [tex]$\text{HNO}_3$[/tex], calcium nitrate ([tex]$\text{Ca(NO}_3)_2$[/tex]) and water ([tex]$\text{H}_2\text{O}$[/tex]) are formed. Therefore, the unbalanced equation is:
[tex]\[\text{Ca(OH)}_2 + \text{HNO}_3 \rightarrow \text{Ca(NO}_3)_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O}\][/tex]
Next, balance the equation in terms of each type of atom.
- Calcium (Ca): There is 1 calcium atom on both sides of the equation.
- Nitrate (NO[tex]\(_3\)[/tex]): There are 2 nitrate ions on the right side (since [tex]\(\text{Ca(NO}_3)_2\)[/tex] contains 2 nitrate ions) and only 1 nitrate ion on the left side. Therefore, we need 2 [tex]\(\text{HNO}_3\)[/tex] molecules to balance the nitrate ions.
[tex]\[\text{Ca(OH)}_2 + 2\text{HNO}_3 \rightarrow \text{Ca(NO}_3)_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O}\][/tex]
- Water (H[tex]\(_2\)[/tex]O): Each molecule of [tex]\(\text{Ca(OH)}_2\)[/tex] will provide 2 OH[tex]\(^-\)[/tex] ions, which can combine with 2 H[tex]\(^+\)[/tex] ions from [tex]\(\text{HNO}_3\)[/tex] to form 2 molecules of water.
Thus, the balanced equation is:
[tex]\[\text{Ca(OH)}_2 + 2\text{HNO}_3 \rightarrow 2\text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{Ca(NO}_3)_2\][/tex]
So, the correctly balanced chemical equation is:
[tex]\[ \text{Ca(OH)}_2 + 2\text{HNO}_3 \rightarrow 2\text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{Ca(NO}_3)_2 \][/tex]
