5.5: Balancing Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

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The Learning Objectives of this Module are:

To identify oxidation–reduction reactions in solution.

We described the defining characteristics of oxidation–reduction, or redox, reactions already. Most of the reactions we considered there were relatively simple, and balancing them was straightforward. When oxidation–reduction reactions occur in aqueous solution, however, the equations are more complex and can be more difficult to balance by inspection. Because a balanced chemical equation is the most important prerequisite for solving any stoichiometry problem, we need a method for balancing oxidation–reduction reactions in aqueous solution that is generally applicable. One such method uses oxidation states, and a second is referred to as the half-reaction method. We show you how to balance redox equations using oxidation states in this section; the half-reaction method is discussed in the second semester

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