BALANCING REDOX REACTIONS

Review of Titration:
o What is a titration?

Transfer of a solution from a burette into a measured volume

of a sample solution.

o What do you need to know in order to carry out a titration?

Volume of aliquot
Concentration of titrant solution
Indicator of endpoint
BALANCED EQUATION of the reaction that is occurring to
know the molar relationship

o How can titrations be applied to redox chemistry?

Like video said: we can oxidize or reduce species

For example, we want to oxidize

Fe 2+(aq)

Fe 3+(aq)

e-

Using Potassium Permanganate

o Where can we look to find the half-reaction that potassium

permanganate undergoes?

TABLE OF STANDARD REACTION POTENTIALS!!

MnO4 - (aq) + 8 H+(aq)

+ 5 e-

Mn 2+(aq)

+ 4 H2O(l)

o Now, how do we balance these two half reactions to form one net
ionic equation?
THREE METHODS OF BALANCING REDOX REACTIONS:
1. Inspection
2. Table of Standard Reduction Potentials
3. Half-Reaction
1. INSPECTION (Balance for charge)
o When the redox reaction is simple and you can clearly see how to
balance out the charges so both sides carry the same charge you
can do so.
Al + Cu 2+ Al 3+ + Cu

Charge on Left = + 2

Charge on Right = +3

In order to balance charges, you must have:

Al +

Charge on Left = + 6

3 Cu 2+

2 Al 3+

+ Cu

Charge on Right = + 6

Now, to balance the atoms, the equation becomes:

2 Al + 3 Cu 2+ 2 Al 3+ + 3 Cu

2. TABLE OF STANDARD REDUCTION POTENTIAL

o In the event that the reaction is too complex to solve by simple
inspection, you an use the half-reactions in the SRP table and

balance the half-reactions so they will be electrically neutral when

added together (balance electrons).

Previous Titration Example:

MnO4 - (aq) + 8 H+(aq)

+ 5 e-

Fe 2+(aq)

Mn 2+(aq)

Fe 3+(aq)

+ 4 H2O(l)

e-

To balance out the electrons, we can multiply the Iron half-reaction by 5

MnO4 - (aq) + 8 H+(aq)

+ 5 e-

5 Fe 2+(aq)

Mn 2+(aq)

+ 4 H2O(l)

Fe 3+(aq)

5 e-

_____________________________________________________

MnO4 - (aq) + 8 H+(aq) + 5 Fe 2+(aq) Mn 2+(aq)

+ 4 H2O(l) + 5 Fe 3+(aq)

3. HALF-REACTION
o When half-reactions are not found within the SRP table, we must
balance them by the half-reaction method
o This method is different in ACIDIC and BASIC conditions

ACIDIC presence of H+
BASIC presence of OH-

Steps for Balancing a Redox Reaction under ACIDIC Conditions:

STEP 1: Break reaction into unbalanced half-reactions according to

similar species present. Each half-reaction must be
balanced separately.

P4 + IO3-

H2PO4-

BROKEN INTO:

P4

H2PO4-

IO3-

I-

STEP 2: Balance Atoms

IO3-

I-

STEP 3: Balance for Oxygen Using H2O

IO3-

I-

+ 3 H2O

STEP 4: Balance for Hydrogen using H+

6 H+ + IO3-

I-

+ 3 H2O

STEP 5: Balance for Charge using Electrons

+ I-

6 H+ + IO3-

I-

+ 3 H2O

Charge on Left = + 5

Charge on Right = - 1

So, to balance out, we should add SIX ELECTRONS to the left side.

6 e- + 6 H+ + IO3-

I-

+ 3 H2O

Charge on Left = - 1

Charge on Right = - 1

STEP 6: Balance Other Half-Reaction and Add Them Together

2.

P4

H2PO4-

P4

4 H2PO4-

3.

16 H2O + P4 4 H2PO4-

4.

16 H2O + P4 4 H2PO4- + 24 H+

5.

16 H2O + P4 4 H2PO4- + 24 H+ + 20 e-

NOW TO ADD:
6 e- + 6 H+ + IO3-

I-

+ 3 H2O

16 H2O + P4 4 H2PO4- + 24 H+ + 20 e-

At this point, we must make sure that the ELECTRONS will cancel out when we
ADD the reactions together, so we have to multiply the top by 10 and the bottomr
by 3.
60 e- + 60 H+ + 10 IO3-

10 I-

+ 30 H2O

48 H2O + 3 P4 12 H2PO4- + 72 H+ + 60 e-

60 H+ + 10 IO3- + 48 H2O + 3 P4 10 I- + 30 H2O + 12 H2PO4- + 72 H+

Now, we can cancel out hydrogen and water that are on both sides to simplify.

10 IO3- + 18 H2O + 3 P4 10 I- + 12 H2PO4- + 12 H+

***** CHECK:****** A great way to make sure you have balanced correctly is to
check the charge balance on both sides of the reaction.

Charge on Left Side = - 10

Charge on Right Side = (-10) + (-12) + (12) = - 10

Balancing a Reaction in BASIC Conditions:

Repeat STEPS 1-4 for Redox Reactions Occurring in Acidic Solution

STEP 5: Count the number of H+ ions in the equation and add the
same number of OH- ions TO BOTH SIDES. On a side that
has both H+ and OH- ions, they will combine to form H2O
which can then be cancelled out accordingly.

STEP 6: Balance for Charge Using Electrons

STEP 7: Balance the Other Half Reaction and Add the Two together

******CHECK:******** Remember to check for Charge Balance

EXAMPLE:
MnO4- + CN- MnO2 + CNO- (in base)

STEP 1:

MnO4- MnO2

CN- CNO-

STEP 2:

MnO4- MnO2

STEP 3:

MnO4- MnO2 + 2 H2O

STEP 4:

4 H+ + MnO4- MnO2 + 2 H2O

STEP 5:

4 OH- + 4 H+ + MnO4- MnO2 + 2 H2O + 4 OH-

4 H2O (4 OH- + 4 H+) + MnO4- MnO2 + 2 H2O + 4 OH-

4 H2O + MnO4- MnO2 + 2 H2O + 4 OH-

2 H2O + MnO4- MnO2 + 4 OH-

STEP 6:

3 e- + 2 H2O + MnO4- --> MnO2 + 4 OH-

STEP 7:

H2O + CN- CNO-

H2O + CN- CNO- + 2 H+

2 OH- + H2O + CN- CNO- + 2 H+ + 2 OH-

2 OH- + H2O + CN- CNO- + 2 H+ + 2 OH- (2 H2O)

2 OH- + H2O + CN- 2 H2O + CNO-

2 OH- + CN- CNO- + H2O + 2 e-

Now to ADD:
2 H2O + MnO4- + 3 e- MnO2 + 4 OH2 OH-

CN-

CNO- + H2O + 2 e-

Multiply the top by two and the bottom by three:

4 H2O + 2 MnO4- + 6 e- 2 MnO2 + 8 OH-

6 OH- + 3 CN- 3 CNO- + 3 H2O + 6 e-

H2O + 2 MnO4- + 3 CN- 2 MnO2 + 2 OH- + 3 CNO-