Neutralization reaction between ammonia and nitric acid Complete and balance the following molecular equation (in aqueous solution); include phase labels. Then, write the net ionic equation.
$~\ce{NH_3 + HNO_3 -&gt; ?}$

I thought that the acid $\ce{HNO3}$ would just give its hydrogen to $\ce{NH3}$ and make the resulting reaction:
$$\ce{NH_3 + HNO_3 -&gt; HNH_3 + NO_3}$$
However the correct answer is $\ce{NH_3 + HNO_3 -&gt; NH_4NO_3}$. Why is this?
Your answer is very close to the answer given, except for the following two tidbits (the first being more significant).


An acid-base reaction is not the exchange of a hydrogen atom $\ce{H}$. It is the exchange of a hydrogen ion (or proton) $\ce{H+}$. Thus your answer should be: $$\ce{NH3(aq) +HNO3(aq) -&gt; NH4+(aq) + NO3-(aq)}$$
The given answer combines the two ions produced into a single compound. $$\ce{NH4+(aq) + NO3-(aq) -&gt;NH4NO3(aq)}$$


The result of #2 would be reasonable if you had not been told that the reaction was occurring in aqueous solution. In aqueous solution, the products should have been those of #1, since ammonium nitrate is freely soluble in water.