Writing Ionic Equations

On these type of questions, I get very confused by what they're actually asking as it's not very clear to me or I may not simply understand it. Is there any ways to really break down this type of question?

I understand how to write the first ionic equation by multiplying and cancelling out but the other ones after are the ones I get confused about.

Well for step 2 you just need to write a balanced equation for the reaction between nitric acid and sodium carbonate.

You're using a carbonate and it effervesces which is a big clue as to what gas could be being given off

Edit: And remember it's an ionic equation so you need to write the products/reactants as dissociated ions, eg. Ca2+ + 2Cl- instead of CaCl2

They use Cu2+

I was just giving an example

On these type of questions, I get very confused by what they're actually asking as it's not very clear to me or I may not simply understand it. Is there any ways to really break down this type of question?

I understand how to write the first ionic equation by multiplying and cancelling out but the other ones after are the ones I get confused about.

I don't understand why they didn't use HNO3 & Sodium Carbonate?

They had to destroy the nitric acid by reaction with sodium carbonate, because it is an oxidising agent and would react with the potassium iodide later on, making iodine (which you don't want, you only want the copper ions making iodine).

The sodium carbonate also precipitates out the copper ions as copper carbonate, which is why ethanoic acid is added, to redissolve the copper ions.

Woah thanks! I don't understand how I'm supposed to know that I'd never have got that in an exam, can you break it down for me further please?

You don't require this knowledge to answer the questions.

I am just explaining why use the method they do, s'all.

Ok but I don't understand how they've given us information because I'd assume they meant HNO3 & Sodium Carbonate reacting nothing to do with Copper.