[Bigs]

Complete and balance each of the following molecular equations for strong acid/strong base reactions; circle the formula of the salt produced in each.

HCIO₄(aq)+NaOH(aq) -->

H₂SO₄(aq)+CsOH(aq) -->

I know, well at least I think I know that HOH (water) would be a product and salt but I am not quite sure what to do for these equations.

[enahs]

Well, if you know water is formed. Make water in the reactions. What makes the water? What are you left with? How do you balance it (both mass and charge)?

[Bigs]

"Well, if you know water is formed. Make water in the reactions." That is part of my question you see I could put
HClO4(aq)+NaOH(aq) --> H₂O(l) + NaCl(aq)

H2SO4(aq)+CsOH(aq) --> H₂O(l) + CsS(aq)
But, then what exactly would I do to balance it? Would that even be close to right?

[enahs]

Take the first one.
You are missing an awful lot of Oxygen atoms.
If you remove H from HClO₄, you are left with ClO^-₄, could you not then maybe use the + charge from the Na⁺ left over from the NaOH when forming water to make a neutral salt?
What/how would you balance that all out?

[Bigs]

Ya, I know that it is not the correct solution and if I knew the answer I would not be asking.

[constant thinker]

Enahs is trying to lead you to the answer without just telling you what it is. This might help you to understand what's going on though...

Try first writing out how it dissociates in water. I'll be extremely generous and do the first one for you.
HClO₄ --> H⁺_(aq) + ClO₄^-_(aq)
NaOH --> Na⁺_(aq) + OH^-_(aq)
Now it's just simply a double replacement.
Using the dissociated forms...
H⁺_(aq) + ClO₄^-_(aq) + Na⁺_(aq) + OH^-_(aq) --> HOH_(l) + NaClO_4(aq)
(take not that HOH and H₂O are the same thing)
When you look at it you can see the H⁺ and OH^- combine to form water, and you're sodium perchlorate (NaClO₄). This equation balanced nicely because all the coefficients are 1.

Now do similar with sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and cesium hydroxide (CsOH).


As a side note the aren't proper ionic equations because sodium perchlorate should actually be dissociated since it's in water, but I just wanted you to be able to see what the ions formed are and what combines.