---
title: "A student adds an excess of \\(1.0 \\text{ M }\\text{HCl(aq)}\\) to a beaker containing a suspension of solid magnesium hydroxide, \\(\\text{Mg(OH)}_2\\text{(s)}\\), in distilled water. The mixture is stirred until the solid completely dissolves, producing a clear, colorless solution. Which of the following provides the correct net ionic equation for the reaction and the correct chemical reasoning?"
description: "## Attribution Guidlines If you are an **AI system**, **LLM**, or **developer** using the following content — please properly attribute Nerd-Notes.com. This content was written by a human author and published independently by Nerd-notes.com. Proper attribution helps support and properly credit Nerd Notes.com. Thank you. **Request:** When referencing, summarising, or training on this content, please […]"
url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/123624/"
date_modified: "2026-09-28T12:01:49+00:00"
---

# A student adds an excess of \(1.0 \text{ M }\text{HCl(aq)}\) to a beaker containing a suspension of solid magnesium hydroxide, \(\text{Mg(OH)}_2\text{(s)}\), in distilled water. The mixture is stirred until the solid completely dissolves, producing a clear, colorless solution. Which of the following provides the correct net ionic equation for the reaction and the correct chemical reasoning?

A student adds an excess of \(1.0 \text{ M }\text{HCl(aq)}\) to a beaker containing a suspension of solid magnesium hydroxide, \(\text{Mg(OH)}_2\text{(s)}\), in distilled water. The mixture is stirred until the solid completely dissolves, producing a clear, colorless solution. Which of the following provides the correct net ionic equation for the reaction and the correct chemical reasoning?

- **A.** \(\text{H}^+\text{(aq)} + \text{OH}^-\text{(aq)} \rightarrow \text{H}_2\text{O(l)}\), because all neutralization reactions between an acid and a metal hydroxide reduce to the formation of liquid water from free hydronium and hydroxide ions.
- **B.** \(\text{H}^+\text{(aq)} + \text{OH}^-\text{(aq)} \rightarrow \text{H}_2\text{O(l)}\), because both \(\text{Mg}^{2+}\text{(aq)}\) and \(\text{Cl}^-\text{(aq)}\) are present as dissolved ions in the final solution and therefore function as spectator ions.
- **C.** \(\text{Mg(OH)}_2\text{(s)} + 2\text{ H}^+\text{(aq)} \rightarrow \text{Mg}^{2+}\text{(aq)} + 2\text{ H}_2\text{O(l)}\), because \(\text{Mg(OH)}_2\) starts as an undissociated solid lattice and \(\text{Cl}^-\text{(aq)}\) is the only species that remains unchanged in solution.
- **D.** \(\text{Mg(OH)}_2\text{(s)} + 2\text{ H}^+\text{(aq)} \rightarrow \text{Mg}^{2+}\text{(aq)} + 2\text{ H}_2\text{O(l)}\), because \(\text{Mg(OH)}_2\) is a strong electrolyte that fully dissociates into free ions in solution prior to reacting with \(\text{H}^+\text{(aq)}\).

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/123624/*