When the equation below is balanced for acidic aqueous solution, what is the coe

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divide this reaction into oxidation half and reduction half reactions. Oxidation half reaction can be written as: Fe2+ -------> Fe3+ Reduction half reaction can be written as: VO4 3- --------> VO2+ Now balance these two reactions separately. Lets balance first reaction. In the first reaction number of iron atoms are same on both the sides. Only charge is different. Charge on the right side is more by one unit so add 1 electron on the right side for getting equal number of charges. Reaction will become Fe2+ -------> Fe3+ + e- Now balance the second reaction in the second reaction number of V atoms are same on both the sides. oxygen atoms which are not balanced can be balanced by adding water molecule. Now on the left side four oxygen atoms are present whereas on the right side only one oxygen atom is present . There is a difference of three oxygen atoms so we have to add 3 moles of water on the right side for getting equal number of oxygen. reaction will become VO4 3- --------> VO2+ + 3H2O Now there are 6 extra H atoms on the right side so for getting equal number of protons on both the sides we will add + 6 H+ on the left side,. Now reaction can be writtten as VO4 3- + 6 H+ --------> VO2+ + 3H2O Now charge on the left side is +3 (+6 charge on the H+ atoms and -3 charge on the VO4) whereas on the right side it is +2 so we have to add 1 electron on the left side for getting equal number of charge on both the sides. Reaction will become VO4 3- + 6 H+ + e---------> VO2+ + 3H2O Now by adding both the balanced equations we will get Fe2+ + VO4 3- + 6 H+ --------> Fe3+ + VO2+ + 3H2O which is the balanced reaction.

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