Electrochemistry

1-2: Balancing Redox Reactions (Acidic)

ES 10: Chemistry for Engineers

David A. Agbayani

Note: These lecture slides are not meant to be published.

 Redox Reactions
• Redox is short for oxidation-reduction
reactions

• Oxidation: loss of electrons

– Oxidation number increases
• Reduction: gain of electrons
– Oxidation number decreases (reduced)
 Redox Reactions
• If we are given a chemical equation, how do
we know which chemical species underwent
oxidation and reduction? numbers!
a tion
We assign oxid
 Rules (Recap)
1. Free elements: oxidation number is zero
• e.g. H2, O2, Na
2. Ions composed of only one atom: oxidation
number is same as charge on the ion
• e.g. O2-, Na+
3. Oxygen: -2 in most compounds, -1 in hydrogen
peroxide (H2O2) and peroxide ion (O22-)
4. Hydrogen: +1 in most compounds, -1 when
bonded to metals in binary compounds (LiH,
NaH)
 Rules (Recap)
5. Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine: -1
when occurring as halide ions
6. In a neutral molecule, sum of oxidation
numbers of all the atoms must be zero.
7. In a polyatomic ion, sum of oxidation
numbers of all the elements in the ion must
be equal to the net charge of the ion.
 Redox Reactions
• If we are given a chemical equation, how do
we know which chemical species underwent
oxidation and reduction? numbers!
e a s s ig n ox i d ation
W

0 0 +2 -2
2Mg (s)  O2 (g)  2MgO (s)
Rule #1 Rule #1 Rule #6 Rule #3
 Redox Reactions
• If we are given a chemical equation, how do
we know which chemical species underwent
oxidation and reduction? numbers!
e a s s ig n ox i d ation
W

0 0 +2 -2
2Mg (s)  O2 (g)  2MgO (s)

As observed, the oxidation state of magnesium (Mg)

increased from 0 to +2.
Therefore, magnesium underwent oxidation.
 Redox Reactions
• If we are given a chemical equation, how do
we know which chemical species underwent
oxidation and reduction? numbers!
e a s s ig n ox i d ation
W

0 0 +2 -2
2Mg (s)  O2 (g)  2MgO (s)

Also, the oxidation state of oxygen (O) decreased

from 0 to -2.
Therefore, oxygen gas (O2) underwent reduction.
 Redox Reactions
• Quick exercise! Determine the chemical
species that underwent oxidation and
reduction.

H 2 (g)  Cl 2 (g)  2HCl (g)

• Answer: H2 (g) underwent oxidation, while

Cl2 (g) underwent reduction.
 Balancing Redox Reactions
t his m et ho d o nly!
g
We will be usin
• Half-reaction method
• acidic The steps will slightly
differ
depending on the me
• basic dium in which
the redox reactions a
re occurring.

• E.g. Balance the equation showing the

oxidation of Fe2+ ions to Fe3+ ions by
dichromate ions (Cr2O72-) in an acidic
medium. As a result, the Cr2O72- ions are
reduced to Cr3+ ions.
 Balancing Redox Reactions
1. Write the unbalanced equation for the reaction
in ionic form.
2 2- 3 3
Fe  Cr2O7  Fe  Cr

2. Separate the equation into two half-reactions.

Increased! ign
ion. +2 To check, let’s ass
Therefore, oxidat +3
oxidation number
s!
Oxidation: Fe 2  Fe 3
+6 -2 +3
2- 3
Reduction: Cr 2 O 7  Cr
Decreased!
2x + 7(-2) = -2
Therefore, reduction.
x = +6
 Balancing Redox Reactions
3. Balance each half-reaction.
a) Non-H, non-O atoms
atom
One (1) iron (Fe)
3+ ¿¿
2+¿→    F e ¿ on both sides:
Fe Balanced!
Two (2) chromium (Cr)
atoms on the left side,
one on the right. 22−− 3+¿¿
3+¿¿
C rr OO →
22 77 →  2C
   C r To balanc
e the Cr
atoms, we
ad d t h e
coefficien
t 2 on the
right side
.
 Balancing Redox Reactions
3. Balance each half-reaction.
a) Non-H, non-O atoms
b) O atoms: add H2O e, so
No O on either sid
O.
3+ ¿¿ no need to add H2
2+¿→    F e ¿
Fe
There is an excess of
7 O atoms on the left
22−− 3+¿ +7 H2 O ¿
3+¿¿
side, so we add C r 22 O
O 77 →
→  2
  2CCrr
7 H2O on the right side.
 Balancing Redox Reactions
3. Balance each half-reaction.
c) H atoms: add H+
e, s o
No H on either sid +
.
3+ ¿¿ no need to add H
2+¿→    F e ¿
Fe
3+¿ + 7H 2 O ¿
2− 2− +¿ →   2C3+¿+7
r H2 O¿¿
C r 2 OC7 r 2 +14
O7 →H   2 C r
There is an excess of
14 H atoms on the right
side, so we add
14 H+ on the left side.
 Balancing Redox Reactions
3. Balance each half-reaction.
c) H atoms: add H+ l
Determine the tota
ide of
d) Charge: add electrons (e-) charge on either s
the equation.
3+ ¿¿ 3+ ¿ +𝑒 − ¿
2+¿→    F   
2+¿ → e F e¿ ¿
F
Fee
+2 +3 -1
+2
Since the righ
t side is
more positive
, we add
one electron o
n th e
right side to b
alance
the charge.
 Balancing Redox Reactions
3. Balance each half-reaction. Since the left
side is
more positive
, we add
c) H atoms: add H+ six electrons
on the
left side to ba
lance the
d) Charge: add electrons (e-) charge.
−
3+ ¿ +𝑒 ¿
2+¿ →    F e ¿
Fe 3+¿
3+¿+7
+ 7HH2 O
2 O¿¿
− 2 − 2− +¿+¿→
→   2C
  2 Cr r ¿
6 𝑒 C+ r 2COr O +14
27 7 + 14
HH
6(-1) -2 14(+1) 2(+3) 7(0)

+12
+6 +6
 Balancing Redox Reactions
4. Add the two half-reactions.
• The electrons on both sides must cancel out.
−
¿ + 𝑒− ¿
3+ ¿ +𝑒3+¿
2+¿ →   →
2+¿ Fe   F e ¿ ¿
FF
6 ( ee − 3+ ¿+ 7 H2 O ¿
2− +¿ +6 𝑒 →   2 Cr ¿
C r 2 O7 +14 H
3 +¿ +  7 H O¿
2
3 +¿+  2 C r ¿
2− +¿ →   6 F e ¿
2+ ¿ +   C r 2 O7 +   14 H ¿
6 Fe
 Balancing Redox Reactions
4. Add the two half-reactions.
• The electrons on both sides must cancel.
5. Verify.
• Atomically and electrically balanced.
3 +¿ +  7 H O ¿
2
3 +¿+  2 C r ¿
2− +¿ →   6 F e ¿
2+¿ +  C r 2 O7 +   14 H ¿
6 Fe
Fe: 6 6
: 2 2
: 7
7
:
14 14
:
6 × (+2) + (-2) + 14 × (+1) 6 × (+3) + 2 × (+3) + 7 × (0)
24 24
 Examples
• Balance the following equation for the
reaction in an acidic medium.
2 
Fe  MnO 4  Fe 3   Mn 2