What is the balanced chemical equation for the reaction between ammonium nitrate and sodium hydroxide, and how can we classify this reaction?

To write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction between ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), we begin with the following unbalanced equation:

NH₄NO₃ + NaOH → NaNO₃ + NH₃ + H₂O

Next, we need to balance it. On the left side, we have one nitrogen from NH₄NO₃, and on the right, one nitrogen in NaNO₃ and one in NH₃. For hydrogens, the left side has four from NH₄ and one from NaOH, totaling five. On the right, we have three from NH₃ and two from H₂O, which also gives five. The sodium and oxygen atoms are balanced as well.

The balanced reaction is as follows:

NH₄NO₃ + NaOH → NaNO₃ + NH₃ + H₂O

Now, to classify the reaction, we observe that this is a double displacement reaction (also known as a double replacement or metathesis reaction). In this type of reaction, components of two compounds swap places to form new compounds. Here, ammonium from ammonium nitrate and sodium from sodium hydroxide exchange partners, resulting in the production of sodium nitrate, ammonia, and water.