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can someone please tell me how to balance this equation step by step?

Cl2O+NH3-----------> NH4Cl +N2 +H20
Original post by FarheenA
Cl2O+NH3-----------> NH4Cl +N2 +H20


It's a redox equation and so must be split up into the separate half equations.

Chlorine is a good place to start. It is +1 in chlorine oxide and -1 in ammonium chloride.

The oxygen of the chlorine oxide must be absorbed by using hydrogen ions:

Cl2O + 2H+ --> 2Cl- + H2O

to complete the balancing electronically we must add 4e to the left hand side.

Cl2O + 2H+ + 4e --> 2Cl- + H2O

Nitrogen on the LHS is in the -3 oxidation state as ammonia and on the RHS it is in the zero oxidation state in the element:

2NH3 --> N2 + 6H+

To balance this electronically you must add 6e to the RHS

2NH3 --> N2 + 6H+ + 6e

NOTE: I haven't bothered about the ammonium ion on the RHS as this is not formed as part of a redox process.

NOW multiply the first half equation by 3 and the second by 2 to equalise the electrons:


3Cl2O + 6H+ + 12e --> 6Cl- + 3H2O
4NH3 --> 2N2 + 12H+ + 12e
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- add together
3Cl2O + 4NH3 --> 6Cl- + 3H2O + 2N2 + 6H+

Now in order to get the chloride ions with ammonium ions we need 6 more NH3 on the LHS (this conveniently also gets rid of the hydrogen ions on the RHS)

3Cl2O + 10NH3 --> 6NH4Cl + 3H2O + 2N2

... and that's all folks!
(edited 6 years ago)

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