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need help

i am supposed to balance the following equation using oxidation states and i keep messing up

help please

Cl2 + NaOH --> NaClO3 + NaCl + H2O

chlorine + sodium hydroxide --> sodium chlorate + sodium chloride + oxygen hydride (water)
Reply 1
Original post by Alkranite
i am supposed to balance the following equation using oxidation states and i keep messing up

help please

Cl2 + NaOH --> NaClO3 + NaCl + H2O

chlorine + sodium hydroxide --> sodium chlorate + sodium chloride + oxygen hydride (water)


Using oxidation states?
Seems an odd way to go about it (I tend to just balance the number of atoms), but if you look at the o.s. of the chlorine's on both sides as it's the only thing where the o.s. has changed. :smile:
Reply 2
it is a question from a book.

and i thought about that but the chlorine has oxidation states ( if i worked it our right) then it has oxidation states of +5 and -1
Reply 3
Original post by Alkranite
it is a question from a book.

and i thought about that but the chlorine has oxidation states ( if i worked it our right) then it has oxidation states of +5 and -1


So one chlorine atom gained an electron, the other lost 5. One of the five lost went to what is now a chloride ion.
So what do you think happened to the other 4 electrons? :smile:
Reply 4
they went to the oxygens in the chlorate ion?
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by Alkranite
i don't know, i can't remember :frown:

Spoiler

Reply 6
i derped as that should have been really obvious

so you need 6NaOH and 3Cl2 to balance the rest of the equation

so the balanced equation is

3Cl2 + 6 NaOH --> NaClO3 + 5 NaCl + 3H2O
Reply 7
Original post by Alkranite
i derped as that should have been really obvious

so you need 6NaOH and 3Cl2 to balance the rest of the equation

so the balanced equation is

3Cl2 + 6 NaOH --> NaClO3 + 5 NaCl + 3H2O


Yep :smile:
Reply 8
yay, thank you :smile: that question had been annoying me for a while
Reply 9
Original post by Alkranite
yay, thank you :smile: that question had been annoying me for a while


No problem :smile:
This may be worth a look.
Reply 10
that is useful thank you :smile:

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