Balancing Redox Reactions Occurring in Acidic Solution by the Half-Reaction Method

1) Assign oxidation numbers to those species that change their oxidation states.
2) Write the unbalanced half reactions, for each half reaction do the following:
a) Balance all atoms except O and H
b) Balance oxygen atoms by adding H
2
O to one side of the half reaction
c) Balance hydrogen atoms by adding H
+
to one side of the half reaction
d) Balance the charge by adding electrons to one side of the half reaction
3) If needed, multiply one or both balanced half-reactions by integers to make the number of
electrons lost in the oxidation half reaction equal to the number of electrons gained in the
reduction half reaction.
4) Add the half-reactions, the electrons should cancel out. If H
+
, OH

, or H
2
O appear on both
sides of the final equation, cancel out the duplications.
5) Check that the elements and the charges on both sides of the equation are balanced.

Balancing Redox Reactions Occurring in Basic Solution by the Half-Reaction Method
1) Balance the oxidation and reduction half reactions as if it occurs in acidic solution (Steps 15)
2) To both sides of the equation add the number of OH

ions equal to the number of H

+
ions in the
equation.
3) Combine the OH

and H
+
ions that appear on the same side of a reaction to form H
2
O
molecules.
4) If H
2
O appears on both sides of the final equation, cancel out the duplications.
5) Check that the elements and the charges on both sides of the equation are balanced.

Examples:
1. Balance the redox reaction, Br
2
+SO
2
Br

+ SO
4
2
in acidic solution using the half
reaction method.
2. Balance Al(s) + NO
2

NH
3
+ AlO
2

in basic solution using the half reaction method.

Answer: The answer to question 1 is worked out in detail on the next page.
Try to answer question 2 yourself.
Check your Answer: OH

+ 2Al +H
2
O + NO
2

2 AlO
2

+ NH
3


Example 1: Balance the redox reaction, Br
2
+SO
2
Br

+ SO
4
2
in acidic solution using the
half reaction method.

1) Assign oxidation numbers to those species that change their oxidation states.
Br
2
+SO
2
Br

+ SO
4
2

0 +4 1 +6
In this reaction the Br changes oxidation state from 0 in Br
2
to 1 in Br

and
S changes from +4 in SO
2
to +6 in SO
4
2
.
Thus, Br
2
gains electrons (each Br goes from a charge of 0 +e

1) (Br
2
is
reduced) and the S in SO
2
loses electrons (+4 +6 +2e

), SO
2
is oxidized.
2) Write the unbalanced half reactions, for each half reaction do the following:
a) Balance all atoms except O and H
Br
2
2 Br

SO
2
SO
4
2

b) Balance oxygen atoms by adding H
2
O to one side of the half reaction
Br
2
2 Br

2H
2
O + SO
2
SO
4
2


c) Balance hydrogen atoms by adding H
+
to one side of each half reaction
Br
2
2 Br

2H
2
O + SO
2
SO
4
2
+ 4H
+


d) Balance the charge by adding electrons to one side of each half reaction
2 e

+ Br
2
2 Br

2H
2
O + SO
2
SO
4
2
+ 4H
+
+ 2 e

3) If needed, multiply one or both balanced half-reactions by integers to make the number of
electrons lost in the oxidation half reaction equal to the number of electrons gained in the
reduction half reaction.
Done. 2 electrons are gained in the reduction reaction which equals the 2 electrons lost in the
oxidation reaction.

4) Add the half-reactions, the electrons should cancel out. If H
+
, OH

, or H
2
O appear on both
sides of the final equation, cancel out the duplications.
2 e

+ Br
2
2 Br

2H
2
O + SO
2
SO
4
2
+ 4H
+
+ 2 e

_______________________________________________________________________________________
2H
2
O + SO
2
+ Br
2
2 Br

+ SO
4
2
+ 4H
+


5) Check to make sure the equation is balanced.
Reactants: 4 H, 1 S, 4 O, 2 Br, charge =0
Products: 4 H, 1 S, 4 O, 2 Br, charge =2(-1) +(-2) +4(+1) =0