Balancing redox reactions in acidic or basic solutions

This lesson will look at Solutions Formulas and will give an explanation of with a step by step look to better explain the concept.

This Chemistry lesson is titled A Colorful Magic Trick with Acids and Bases Low and will give a detailed explanation of the topic.

Hydrated copper (II) chloride is dissolved in water and concentrated hydrochloric acid is added to change the colour of the solution from blue to green-yellow. The ligand substitution is then reversed by adding an excess of deionised water. The structures of the complexes and the thermodynamic and equilibrium factors are discussed briefly.

We'll go step by step through how to balance an oxidation reduction (redox) reaction in acidic solution. Most importantly, both charges and atoms must balance. Here are the steps: first, calculate oxidations numbers for all the elements in the equation. Next, figure out what is being oxidized and what is being reduced. Then, write half reactions for the oxidation and reduction. After that, balance each half reaction: first, for the atoms other than O and H, then for O and H, and finally for charge by adding electrons. After being balanced, the oxidation and reduction half reactions are ready to be added back to together. Make sure that the number of electrons is the same in the oxidation and reduction half reactions. If they are not, multiply one or both of the half reactions to make the number of electrons the same. Then, combine the oxidation and reduction half reaction, canceling out stuff that appears on both sides of the equation. Lastly, do a final check to make sure that everything balances: both atoms and charge.

This short video looks at the alkaline catalysed hydrolysis of both simple and complex esters - the later making a soap in what is also known as a saponification reaction. The hydrolysis of ethyl ethanoate is shown first, followed by the hydrolysis (saponification) of tristearine. The next video in the series looks at how we determine the saponification value of a fat or oil.