Taking into account the definition of net ionic equation, the net ionic equation is Sr²⁺(aq) + 2 SO₄⁻(aq) → SrSO₄ (s) and H⁺ and NO₃⁻ are the spectator ions.
The net ionic equation is a chemical equation for a reaction that lists only the species that participate in the reaction.
In other words, an ionic equation is a chemical equation where electrolytes in aqueous solution are written as dissociated ions. Usually this is a salt dissolved in water, where the ionic species are followed by (aq) in the equation, to indicate that they are in aqueous solution.
The balanced equation will be:
Sr(NO₃)₂ (aq) + H₂SO₄ (aq) → SrSO₄ (s) + 2 HNO₃ (aq)
where (aq) means aqueous and (s) solid.
Taking into account that:
The total ionic equation in separated aqueous solution will be:
Sr²⁺(aq) + 2 NO₃⁻(aq) + 2 H⁺(aq) + 2 SO₄⁻(aq) → SrSO₄ (s) + 2 NO₃⁻(aq) + 2 H⁺(aq)
A spectator ion is an ion that appears both as a reactant and as a product in an ionic equation.
Spectator ions can be either cations (positively charged ions) or anions (negatively charged ions).
When writing a net ionic equation, spectator ions found in the original equation are ignored. Thus, the total ionic reaction is different from the net chemical reaction.
In this case, H⁺ and NO₃⁻ are the spectator ions because they appear unchanged in both the product and the reagent. So these ions cancel out by writing the net ionic equation and you get:
Sr²⁺(aq) + 2 SO₄⁻(aq) → SrSO₄ (s)
In summary, the net ionic equation is Sr²⁺(aq) + 2 SO₄⁻(aq) → SrSO₄ (s) and H⁺ and NO₃⁻ are the spectator ions.
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