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There are two common techniques for balancing redox equations:

1. Oxidation number change method
2. Ion-electron method (also called the half-reaction method)

BALANCING REDOX REACTIONS

by oxidation number change method

In the oxidation number change method the underlying principle is that the gain in the oxidation number (number
of electrons) in one reactant must be equal to the loss in the oxidation number of the other reactant.

Equation: CuSCN + KIO3 + HCl = CuSO4 + KCl + HCN + ICl + H2O  

Acidic medium   Basic medium

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Practice exercises   Balanced equation

Step 1. Write down the unbalanced equation ('skeleton equation') of the chemical reaction. All reactants and
products must be known. For a better result write the reaction in ionic form.

  CuSCN + KIO3 + HCl →

← CuSO4 + KCl + HCN + ICl + H2O  

Step 2. Separate the process into half reactions. A redox reaction is nothing but both oxidation and reduction
reactions taking place simultaneously.
a) Assign oxidation numbers for each atom in the equation. Oxidation number (also called oxidation state) is
a measure of the degree of oxidation of an atom in a substance (see: Rules for assigning oxidation
numbers).

→
+1 -2 +4 -3 +1+5-2 +1 -1 +2 +6-2 +1 -1 +1+2 -3 +1 -1 +1 -2
  CuSCN + K I O3 + HCl ← CuSO4 + KCl + HCN + I Cl + H2O  

b) Identify and write out all redox couples in reaction. Identify which reactants are being oxidized (the
oxidation number increases when it reacts) and which are being reduced (the oxidation number goes down).
Write down the transfer of electrons. Carefully, insert coefficients, if necessary, to make the numbers of
oxidized and reduced atoms equal on the two sides of each redox couples.
 +1 -2 +4 -3 +2 +6-2
-
O: CuSCN → CuSO4 + e (Cu)

+1 -2 +4 -3 +2 +6-2
-
  CuSCN → CuSO4 + 8e (S)

+1 -2 +4 -3 +1+2 -3
R: CuSCN + 2e- → HCN (C)

+1+5-2 +1 -1
-
  K I O3 + 4e → I Cl (I)

c) Combine these redox couples into two half-reactions: one for the oxidation, and one for the reduction. It is
necessary to combine all redox pairs with species containing several different redox atoms into one
equation, and depending on which reaction is dominant (exchanges more electrons) they are combined with
either partial reactions of oxidation or reduction. Before combining the two reactions it is neccesary to
ensure that the same coeficients are in front of both such molecules.
+1 -2 +4 -3 +2 +6-2 +1+2 -3
-
O: CuSCN → CuSO4 + HCN + 7e  

+1+5-2 +1 -1
-
R: K I O3 + 4e → I Cl  

Step 3. Balance the atoms in each half reaction. A chemical equation must have the same number of atoms of each
element on both sides of the equation. Add appropriate coefficients (stoichiometric coefficients) in front of the
chemical formulas to balance the number of atoms. Never change any formulas.
a) Balance all other atoms except hydrogen and oxygen. We can use any of the species that appear in the
skeleton equations for this purpose. Keep in mind that reactants should be added only to the left side of the
equation and products to the right.

+1 -2 +4 -3 +2 +6-2 +1+2 -3
O: CuSCN → CuSO4 + HCN + 7e-  

+1+5-2 +1 -1
R: K I O3 + 2HCl + 4e
-
→ I Cl + KCl  

b) Balance the charge. For reactions in an acidic solution, balance the charge so that both sides have the
same total charge by adding a H+ ion to the side deficient in positive charge.
+1 -2 +4 -3 +2 +6-2 +1+2 -3
O: CuSCN → CuSO4 + HCN + 7e- + 7H+  

+1+5-2 +1 -1
R: K I O3 + 2HCl + 4e- + 4H+ → I Cl + KCl  

c) Balance the oxygen atoms. Check if there are the same numbers of oxygen atoms on the left and right side,
if they aren't equilibrate these atoms by adding water molecules.
+1 -2 +4 -3 +2 +6-2 +1+2 -3
O: CuSCN + 4H2O → CuSO4 + HCN + 7e- + 7H+  

+1+5-2 +1 -1
R: K I O3 + 2HCl + 4e- + 4H+ → I Cl + KCl + 3H2O  
 Balanced half-reactions are well tabulated in handbooks and on the web in a 'Tables of standard electrode
potentials'. These tables, by convention, contain the half-cell potentials for reduction. To make the oxidation
reaction, simply reverse the reduction reaction and change the sign on the E1/2 value.

Step 4. Make electron gain equivalent to electron lost. The electrons lost in the oxidation half-reaction must be equal
the electrons gained in the reduction half-reaction. To make the two equal, multiply the coefficients of all species
by integers producing the lowest common multiple between the half-reactions.
+1 -2 +4 -3 +2 +6-2 +1+2 -3
O: CuSCN + 4H2O → CuSO4 + HCN + 7e- + 7H+ | *4

+1+5-2 +1 -1
R: K I O3 + 2HCl + 4e- + 4H+ → I Cl + KCl + 3H2O | *7

+1 -2 +4 -3 +2 +6-2 +1+2 -3
O: 4CuSCN + 16H2O → 4CuSO4 + 4HCN + 28e- + 28H+  

+1+5-2 +1 -1
R: 7K I O3 + 14HCl + 28e- + 28H+ → 7 I Cl + 7KCl + 21H2O  

Step 5. Add the half-reactions together. The two half-reactions can be combined just like two algebraic equations,
with the arrow serving as the equals sign. Recombine the two half-reactions by adding all the reactants together on
one side and all of the products together on the other side.

+1 -2 +4 -3 +1+5-2
4CuSCN + 7K I O3 + 16H2O + 14HCl + 28e + 28H
- + → +2 +6-2 +1 -1 +1+2 -3
-
← 4CuSO4 + 7 I Cl + 4HCN + 7KCl + 28e + 21H2O + 28H
+

Step 6. Simplify the equation. The same species on opposite sides of the arrow can be canceled. Write the
equation so that the coefficients are the smallest set of integers possible.

+1 -2 +4 -3 +1+5-2
4CuSCN + 7K I O3 + 14HCl → +2 +6-2 +1 -1 +1+2 -3
← 4CuSO4 + 7 I Cl + 4HCN + 7KCl + 5H2O
Finally, always check to see that the equation is balanced. First, verify that the equation contains the same type and
number of atoms on both sides of the equation.

ELEMENT LEFT RIGHT DIFFERENCE

Cu 4*1 4*1 0
S 4*1 4*1 0
C 4*1 4*1 0

N 4*1 4*1 0
K 7*1 7*1 0
I 7*1 7*1 0
O 7*3 4*4 + 5*1 0
H 14*1 4*1 + 5*2 0
Cl 14*1 7*1 + 7*1 0
Second, verify that the sum of the charges on one side of the equation is equal to the sum of the charges on the
other side. It doesn't matter what the charge is as long as it is the same on both sides.

4*0 + 7*0 + 14*0  =  4*0 + 7*0 + 4*0 + 7*0 + 5*0

0  =  0

Since the sum of individual atoms on the left side of the equation matches the sum of the same atoms on the right
side, and since the charges on both sides are equal we can write a balanced equation.

4CuSCN + 7KIO3 + 14HCl →

← 4CuSO4 + 7ICl + 4HCN + 7KCl + 5H2O

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Citing this page:

Generalic, Eni. "Balancing redox reactions by oxidation number change method." EniG. Periodic Table of the Elements. KTF-
Split, 18 Feb. 2018. Web. 7 May. 2018. <https://www.periodni.com/balancing_redox_equations.php>.

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