When balancing a redox equation by the ion electron method, the two half equations must be multiplied so that
- A. the number of atoms of oxygen is the same in both
- B. the number of electrons lost equals the number gained
- C. the charges on both sides are zero
- D. the coefficients are all whole numbers greater than one
Explanation
Electrons cannot appear in the final equation, so the two half equations are scaled until the electrons cancel exactly on addition, which is simply a statement that charge is conserved. Oxygen and hydrogen are balanced separately by adding water and hydrogen ions in acidic solution. The total charge on each side need not be zero, only equal.