Determine the number of water molecules necessary to balance the reduction half reaction of
____ ClO₃^-(aq) → ____ Cl^- (aq) that occurs in an acidic solution.

Question

Determine the number of water molecules necessary to balance the reduction half reaction of ____ ClO₃^-(aq)→ ____ Cl^- (aq)that occurs in an acidic solution. A)1 B)3 C)5 D)7

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In order to balance the reduction half reaction, we need to add 3 electrons to the reactant side to form Cl^- (aq). Each oxygen atom in ClO₃^-(aq) gains two electrons and two hydrogen ions to become two water molecules. Therefore, we need a total of 3 water molecules to balance the reduction half reaction.

Determine the Number of Water Molecules Necessary to Balance the Reduction