Which of the following represents the net ionic equation for the reaction between excess hydroiodic acid (HI) and copper(II) carbonate (CuCO3)?

• A. CuCO3(s) + 2H+(aq) → Cu2+(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)
• B. CuCO3(s) + 2H+(aq) → Cu2+(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)
• C. CuCO3(s) + 2HI(aq) → CuI2(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)
• D. CuCO3(s) + 2I-(aq) → CuI2(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the reactants and products in the given chemical equation: CuCO3(s) and HI(aq) are the reactants, while Cu2+(aq), CO2(g), and H2O(l) are the products.
2. Write the complete ionic equation by breaking down all aqueous compounds into their respective ions. For example, HI(aq) dissociates into H+(aq) and I-(aq).
3. Recognize that CuCO3(s) is a solid and does not dissociate into ions in the ionic equation.
4. Identify the spectator ions, which are ions that appear on both sides of the complete ionic equation and do not participate in the reaction. In this case, I-(aq) is a spectator ion.
5. Write the net ionic equation by removing the spectator ions from the complete ionic equation, leaving only the ions and molecules directly involved in the reaction: CuCO3(s) + 2H+(aq) → Cu2+(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l).