HNO3+Ca(OH)2= Ca(NO3)2+H2O

Question

 I would like it answered and explained (step by step explaining) it’s a grade 7 too 9 question at GCSEs however I’m only in year 9 I would just like to know if I have done it right 

Answer 1

Assuming that you were given nitric acid and calcium hydroxide as the reactants and calcium nitrate and water as the products, you wrote it correctly.

 

Now, you still need to balance the equation, it's not balanced in the form you gave it.

Ok, the way you wrote the equation, we will take each compound at a time.

HNO3+Ca(OH)2= Ca(NO3)2+H2O

 

Now, take each compound and break down the atoms of each compound.

 

Reactants: (Left side of equation currently)

HNO3 has 1 H atom, 1 N atom and 3 O atoms

Ca(OH)2 has 1 Ca atom, 2 O atoms and 2 H atoms

Left side has a total of 3 H atoms, 1 N atom, 1 Ca atom, and 5 O atoms

 

Products: (Right side of equation currently)

Ca(NO3)2 has 1 Ca atom, 2 N atoms (1 x 2) and 6 O atoms (3 x 2)

H2O has 2 H atoms, and 1 O atoms

Right side has a total of 1 Ca atom, 2 N atoms, 7 O atoms, 2 H atoms

 

In this equation, you have to balance the atoms of both sides, so you start with one type of atom and go from there.

Since Oxygen has more atoms in the equation, let's try to balance them first and see if that works.

Currently, I have 5 total O atoms (3 + 2) on the left side and 7 on the right (6 + 1)

 

Since they are not balanced, I need to put something on the left to give more on that side.

Try 2 HNO3, which gives 6 O atoms, and I had 2 from the Ca(OH)2 already, so I have a total of 8 O atoms now.

Right side, you need 8 total, but only have 7.  Since H20 has only one O atom, if you place a 2 in front of the H20, you have 2 O atoms now.

 

Equation so far:

2HNO3+Ca(OH)2= Ca(NO3)2+2H2O

 

Again, balance all the atoms for reactants and products.

Reactants:

2HNO3 has 2 H atoms, 2 N atom and 6 O atoms

Ca(OH)2 has 1 Ca atom, 2 O atoms and 2 H atoms

Left side: 4 H atoms, 2 N atoms, 8 O atoms, 1 Ca atom

 

Products:

Ca(NO3)2 has 1 Ca atom, 2 N atoms, 6 O atoms

2H2O has 4 H atoms (2 x 2), and 2 O atoms

Right side: 1 Ca atom 2 N atoms, 8 O atoms, 4 H atoms

 

Since the numbers on the left equal the right, you now have a balanced equation, so this must be the answer:

2HNO3+Ca(OH)2= Ca(NO3)2+2H2O

I hope it wasn't too lengthy or too detailed, but that's what you asked for...  :)

 

 

Answer 2

This is an acid (HNO3) base Ca(OH)2 reaction so the products will always be a salt + water. 

The balanced equation is 2HNO3 + Ca(OH)2 ==> Ca(NO3)2 + 2H2O

so what exactly is your question?