Lesson 5: Balancing Redox

At the end of this lesson, you are

expected to:
• Write and balance redox
equations in acidic medium
• Write and balance redox
equations in basic medium
 Balancing Redox Reactions

As we balance oxidation-reduction reactions, there is an additional requirement: The gains and

losses of electrons must be balanced. If a substance loses a certain number of electrons during a
reaction, another substance must gain that same number of electrons because like atoms, electrons
are neither created nor destroyed in any chemical reaction.

Balancing redox reactions can be done through the method of half – reactions, a systematic
procedure for balancing redox equations.

Equations that show either oxidation or reduction alone are called half-reactions.

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 Balancing Equations by the Method of Half – Reactions

For balancing a redox reaction that occurs in acidic aqueous solution, the procedure is as follows:

1. Divide the equation into one oxidation half-

reaction and one reduction half-reaction.
2. Balance each half-reaction.
(a) First, balance elements other than H and O.
(b) Next, balance O atoms by adding H2O as
needed.
(c) Then balance H atoms by adding H+ as needed.
(d) Finally, balance charge by adding e-as needed.

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 Balancing Equations by the Method of Half – Reactions

For balancing a redox reaction that occurs in acidic aqueous solution, the procedure is as follows:

3. Multiply half-reactions by integers as needed to make the number of electrons lost in the
oxidation half-reaction equal the number of electrons gained in the reduction half-reaction.
4. Add half-reactions and, if possible, simplify by canceling species appearing on both sides of
the combined equation.
5. Check to make sure that atoms and charges are balanced.

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 Example #7
Balance using half – reaction the chemical reaction between permanganate ion (MnO4-) and oxalate
ion (C2O42- ) in acidic aqueous solution that leads to the formation of CO2 and Mn2+ .
Solution:
• Write the skeleton equation
MnO4- (aq) + C2O42- (aq) → Mn2+ (aq) + CO2 (g)
• Write the two half-reactions (step 1)
MnO - (aq) → Mn2+ (aq)
4

C2O42- (aq) → CO2 (g)

• Balance all the atoms except H and O (step 2a)
MnO - (aq) → Mn2+ (aq)
4

C2O42- (aq) → 2 CO2 (g)

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 Solution:
• Balance O by adding H2O to the O deficient side (step 2b)
MnO - (aq) → Mn2+ (aq) + 4 H O(l)
4 2

C2O42- (aq) →
2 CO2 (g)
• Balance hydrogen atoms by adding H+ to the H deficient side (step 2c)
8 H+ (aq) + MnO4- (aq) → Mn2+ (aq) + 4 H2O(l)
C2O42- (aq) → 2 CO2 (g)
• Balance the charges by adding electrons to the more positive side (step 2d)
5 e- + 8 H+ (aq) + MnO - (aq) → Mn2+ (aq) + 4 H O(l)
4 2

C2O42- (aq) → 2 CO2 (g) + 2 e-

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 Solution:
• Multiply each half-reaction by an appropriate integer so that the number of electrons gained in
one half-reaction equals the number of electrons lost in the other (step 3)
2 {5 e- + 8 H+ (aq) + MnO - (aq) → Mn2+ (aq) + 4 H O(l)}
4 2

5 {C2O42- (aq) → 2 CO2 (g) + 2 e-}

10 e- + 16 H+ (aq) + 2 MnO4- (aq) → 2 Mn2+ (aq) + 8 H2O(l)
5 C2O42- (aq) → 10 CO2 (g) + 10 e-
• Cancel out spectator ions
16 H+ (aq) + 2 MnO4- (aq) → 2 Mn2+ (aq) + 8 H2O(l)
5 C2O42- (aq) → 10 CO2 (g)
• The balanced equation is the sum of the balanced half-reactions (step 4)
16 H+ (aq) + 2 MnO4- (aq) + 5 C2O42- (aq) → 2 Mn2+ (aq) + 8 H2O(l) + 10 CO2 (g)

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 Example #8
Complete and balance this equation by the method of half-reactions:
Cr O 2-(aq) + Cl-(aq)
2 7 → Cr3+(aq) + Cl (g) 2 (acidic solution)

Solution:
• Write the two half-reactions (step 1)
Cr2O72-(aq) → Cr3+(aq)
Cl-(aq) → Cl2(g)
• Balance all the atoms except H and O (step 2a)
Cr O 2- (aq)
2 7 → 2 Cr3+(aq)
2 Cl-(aq) → Cl2(g)

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 Solution:
• Balance O by adding H2O to the O deficient side (step 2b)
Cr O 2- (aq)
2 7 → 2 Cr3+(aq) + 7 H O 2

2 Cl-(aq) → Cl2(g)
• Balance hydrogen atoms by adding H+ to the H deficient side (step 2c)
14 H+ + Cr O 2- (aq)
2 7 → 2 Cr3+(aq) + 7 H O 2

2 Cl-(aq) → Cl2(g)
• Balance the charges by adding electrons to the more positive side (step 2d)
6 e- + 14 H+ + Cr O 2- (aq)
2 7 → 2 Cr3+(aq) + 7 H O 2

2 Cl-(aq) → Cl2(g) + 2 e-

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 Solution:
• Multiply each half-reaction by an appropriate integer so that the number of electrons gained in
one half-reaction equals the number of electrons lost in the other (step 3)
1 {6 e- + 14 H+ + Cr2O72- (aq) → 2 Cr3+(aq) + 7 H2O}
3 {2 Cl-(aq) → Cl2(g) + 2 e-}
6 e- + 14 H+ + Cr2O72- (aq) → 2 Cr3+(aq) + 7 H2O
6 Cl-(aq) → 3 Cl2(g) + 6 e-
• Cancel out spectator ions
14 H+ + Cr O 2- (aq)
2 7 → 2 Cr3+(aq) + 7 H2O
6 Cl-(aq) → 3 Cl2(g)
The balanced equation is the sum of the balanced half-reactions (step 4)
14 H+ + Cr O 2- (aq) + 6 Cl-(aq) → 2 Cr3+(aq) + 7 H O + 3 Cl
2 7 2 2(g)

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 Try It Yourself

Complete and balance the following equations using the method of half-
reactions. Both reactions occur in acidic solution.
(a) Cu(s) + NO3-(aq) → Cu2+(aq) + NO2(g)
(b) Mn2+(aq) + NaBiO3(s) → Bi3+(aq) + MnO4-(aq) + Na+(aq)

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 Try It Yourself: Answer
Complete and balance the following equations using the method of half-reactions.
Both reactions occur in acidic solution.
(a) Cu(s) + NO3-(aq) → Cu2+(aq) + NO2(g)
(b) Mn2+(aq) + NaBiO3(s) → Bi3+(aq) + MnO4-(aq) + Na+ (aq)

Answers:
(a) Cu(s) + 4 H+(aq) + 2 NO3-(aq) → Cu2+(aq) + 2 NO2(g) + 2 H2O(l)
(b) 2 Mn2+(aq) + 5 NaBiO3(s) + 14 H+(aq) → 2 MnO4-(aq) + 5 Bi3+(aq) + 5 Na+(aq) + 7 H2O(l)

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 Balancing Equations by the Method of Half – Reactions

If a redox reaction occurs in basic solution, the equation must be balanced by using OH- and H2O
rather than H+ and H2O.
One approach is to first balance the half-reactions as if they occurred in acidic solution and then
count the number of in each half-reaction and add the same number of OH- to each side of the half-
reaction.

In essence, what you are doing is “neutralizing” the protons to form water (H+ and OH- → H2O) on the side
containing H+, and the other side ends up with the OH-. The resulting water molecules can be canceled as
needed.

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 Example #9
Complete and balance this equation for a redox reaction that takes place in basic solution:
CN-(aq) + MnO -(aq) → CNO-(aq) + MnO (s)
4 2 (basic solution)

Solution:
• Write the two half-reactions (step 1)
CN-(aq) → CNO-(aq)
MnO4-(aq) → MnO2(s)
• Balance all the atoms except H and O (step 2a)
CN-(aq) → CNO-(aq)
MnO4-(aq) → MnO2(s)

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 Solution:
• Balance O by adding H2O to the O deficient side (step 2b)
H2O + CN-(aq) → CNO-(aq)
MnO4-(aq) → MnO2(s) + 2H2O
• Balance hydrogen atoms by adding H+ to the H deficient side (step 2c)
H2O + CN-(aq) → CNO-(aq) + 2H+
4H+ + MnO4-(aq) → MnO2(s) + 2H2O
• Balance the charges by adding electrons to the more positive side (step 2d)
H O + CN-(aq) → CNO-(aq) + 2H+ + 2e-
2

3e- + 4H+ + MnO4-(aq) → MnO2(s) + 2H2O

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 Solution:
• Multiply each half-reaction by an appropriate integer so that the number of electrons gained in
one half-reaction equals the number of electrons lost in the other (step 3)
3{H O + CN-(aq) → CNO-(aq) + 2H+ + 2e-}
2

2{3e- + 4H+ + MnO4-(aq) → MnO2(s) + 2H2O}

3 H2O + 3 CN-(aq) → 3 CNO-(aq) + 6H+ + 6e-

6e- + 8H+ + 2 MnO4-(aq) → 2 MnO2(s) + 4H2O

• Cancel out spectator ions
3 H2O + 3 CN-(aq) → 3 CNO-(aq) + 6H+
8H+ + 2 MnO -(aq) → 2 MnO
4 2(s) + 4H2O

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 Solution:
• Add OH- (equal to the number of H+) to both sides of the equation
6OH- + 3 H2O + 3 CN-(aq) → 3 CNO-(aq) + 6H+ + 6OH-
8OH- + 8H+ + 2 MnO -(aq) → 2 MnO (s) + 4H O + 8OH-
4 2 2

6OH- + 3 H2O + 3 CN-(aq) → 3 CNO-(aq) + 6 H2O

8 H2O + 2 MnO4-(aq) → 2 MnO2(s) + 4H2O + 8OH-

• Get the net amount of water for each half reaction
6OH- + 3 CN-(aq) → 3 CNO-(aq) + 3 H2O

4 H2O + 2 MnO4-(aq) → 2 MnO2(s) + 8OH-

• Combine the two half – reactions

6 OH- + 3 CN-(aq) + 4 H2O + 2 MnO4-(aq) → 3 CNO-(aq) + 3 H2O + 2 MnO2(s) + 8OH-

3 CN-(aq) + 2 MnO4-(aq) + H2O → 3 CNO-(aq) + 2 MnO2(s) + 2 OH-

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 Try It Yourself

Complete and balance the following equations for oxidation-reduction

reactions that occur in basic solution:
(a) NO2-(aq) + Al(s) → NH3(aq) + Al(OH)4-(aq)
(b) Cr(OH)3(s) + ClO-(aq) → CrO4 2-(aq) + Cl2(g)

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 Try It Yourself: Answer
Complete and balance the following equations for oxidation-reduction reactions that
occur in basic solution:
(a) NO2-(aq) + Al(s) → NH3(aq) + Al(OH)4-(aq)
(b) Cr(OH)3(s) + ClO-(aq) → CrO4 2-(aq) + Cl2(g)

Answers:
(a) NO2-(aq) + 2 Al(s) + 5 H2O(l) + OH-(aq) → NH3(aq) + 2 Al(OH)4-(aq)
(b) 2 Cr(OH)3(s) + 6 ClO-(aq) → 2 CrO4 2-(aq) + 3 Cl2(g) + 2 H2O(l) + 2 OH-(aq)

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 Example #6

When 1 mol of caffeine (C8H10N4O2)is burned in air, 4960 kJ of heat is evolved. Five grams of
caffeine is burned in a bomb calorimeter. The temperature is observed to increase by 11.37
degrees Celsius. What is the heat capacity of the calorimeter?

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