Balance the following reaction:
MnO4- +
8H+ + 5Fe2+ -> 5Fe3+ + Mn2+ + 4H2O
To balance this reaction, we need to make sure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. Here's how we can do that:
First, let's count the number of atoms we have on each side of the equation:
Reactants:
1 Mn
4 O
8 H
5 Fe
Products:
1 Mn
4 O
8 H
5 Fe
The number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides, except for the charges on the ions.
We can balance the charges by adding electrons to the reactants. Each Fe2+ ion needs two electrons to become Fe3+, and the MnO4- ion needs five electrons to become Mn2+. Therefore, we need to add 10 electrons to the left side of the equation:
MnO4- + 8H+ + 5Fe2+ + 10e- -> 5Fe3+ + Mn2+ + 4H2O
Now we can check the number of atoms of each element again:
Reactants:
1 Mn
4 O
8 H
5 Fe
10 e-
Products:
1 Mn
4 O
8 H
5 Fe
10 e-
The equation is now balanced, with the same number of each element on both sides.