Question 1:

Balance the redox reaction Al + NO3- → Al(OH)4- +NH3 in alkaline medium.

Solution:



 Dividing the equation in two half reactions

 NO3- →NH3 (Oxidation Half Reaction)

Al + 4OH- →Al(OH)4- (Reduction Half Reaction)



 All the atoms other than O & H are balanced (N and Al in this case
which are already balanced).

 NO 3
- + H2O →NH3 + OH-

Al + 4OH- →Al(OH)4-


 Then O and H are balanced using OH- and H2O

 NO3- + 6H2O →NH3 + 9OH-

Al + 4 OH- → Al(OH) 4
-



 Electrons need to be added in order to balance the charge.

 8 e- + NO 3
- + 6 H 2 O →NH 3 + 9 OH -

Al + 4 OH- → Al(OH)4- + 3 e-



 Loss and gain of electrons need to be made equal:
 For this, we need to multiply first equation by
3 and second equation by 8



 Adding both equations we get the balanced redox equation

3NO 3
- + 18H 2 O+ 8Al + 5 OH - → 8Al(OH) 4
-

+3NH 3

____________________________________________________

Question 2:

Balance the equation

Cr2O7 2-(g) + SO2(aq) → Cr3+ + SO42-(aq) (in acidic medium)

Solution:



 Dividing the equation in two half reactions

 SO2 →SO4 2- (Oxidation half reaction)

Cr2O7 2-→Cr3+ (Reduction half reaction)



 Balance the atoms other than O and H

 SO2 →SO42-

Cr2O7 2-→2Cr3+



 O and H are balanced using H+ and H 2 O

 SO2 + 2H2O →SO4 2- +4H+

 Cr2O7 2-+14H+→2Cr3+ +7H2O



 Electrons need to be added to balance the charge.

 SO2 + 2H2O →SO4 2- +4H+ +2e-

...............................(2)

Cr2O7 2-+14H+ +6e-

→2Cr3+ +7H 2O .........................(1)




Loss and gain of electrons need to be made equal. For this, we need to
multiply equation (2) by 3



 Adding both equations to get the balanced redox reaction

Cr2O7 2-+2H+ +3SO 2 →2Cr3+ +7H2O

Question 1

Balance the equation :

KMnO4 + H2SO4 + FeSO4 → K2SO4 + MnSO4 + Fe2(SO4)3 + H2O

Solution:

Mn+7 → Mn+2 ; Fe+2 → Fe2+3

Mn+7 + 5e- → Mn+2 (1) 2; 2Fe+2 → Fe2+3 + 2e- (2) 5

2Mn+7 + 10e- → 2Mn+2; 10Fe2+2 → 5Fe2+3 + 10e-.

Therefore coefficient of KMnO4 is 2, that of MnSO4 is 2, that of FeSO4 is 10

and that of Fe2(SO4) is 5.
Therefore 2KMnO4 + 10FeSO4 → 2MnSO4 + 5Fe2(SO4)3

Coefficient of K2SO4 should be 1.

2KMnO4 + 10 FeSO4 → K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 5Fe2(SO4)3

To balance SO42- so that left hand side must have 8H2SO4, thus H2O also becomes
8H2O.

2KMnO4 + 10 FeSO4 + 8H2SO4 → K2SO4 + 2Mn(SO4) + 5Fe2(SO4)3 + 8H2O

______________________________________________

Question 2:

Balance the equation :

MnO4- + C2O42– + H+ → CO2 + Mn+2 + H2O

Solution:

Mn+7 → Mn+2 ; C2 → C+4

5e- + Mn+7 → Mn+2 (1) ´2;

C2 → 2C+4 + 2e- (2) ´5

10e- + 2Mn+7 → 2Mn+2 ; 5C2 → 10C+4 + 10e-

Therefore 2MnO4- + 5C2O4-2 → 10CO2- + 2Mn+2

There must be 8H2O on the right to balance O. Therefore there must be 10H + to
balance H.

2MnO4- + 5C2O4-2 + 16H+ → 10CO2 + 2Mn+2 + 8H2O