Consider the half-reaction O₂(aq)→ OH^-(aq). When the equation is balanced in basic solution, the coefficient for water will be ________, and the number of electrons transferred will be ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To balance the half-reaction in basic solution, we need to first balance the elements other than hydrogen and oxygen. We have 1 O on the left and 2 O's on the right, so we need to add a water molecule to the left to balance the O's: O₂(aq) → OH^-(aq) + H2O(l) Next, we need to balance the hydrogen by adding hydroxide ions to the left: O₂(aq) + 2 OH-(aq) → OH^-(aq) + H2O(l) Now the equation is balanced for mass, but we need to balance the charge by adding electrons to the left: O₂(aq) + 2 OH-(aq) + 4 e- → OH^-(aq) + H2O(l) Therefore, the coefficient for water is 2, and the number of electrons transferred is 4. The answer is (C).

Consider the Half-Reaction O2(aq)→ OH-(aq)

Consider the Half-Reaction O₂(aq)→ OH^-(aq)