need help balancing!

ivy914 · Post by **ivy914** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:04 pm

Co(NO₃)₂ + NH₃ + (NH₄)₂CO₃ + H₂O₂ = [Co(NH₃)₄CO₃]NO₃ + NH₄NO₃ + H₂O

any ideas how to balance this equation? i've been working on it for 30 minutes and still can't figure it out. the balancer thing says it is invalid or something!

please help! thanks

holyland · Post by **holyland** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:32 pm

in the reaction, we can find that:
Co₂+ ---->Co₃+
O₁- ----> O₂-

and this is the Key of the equation.

2Co(NO₃)₂ +6 NH₃ + 2(NH₄)₂CO₃ + H₂O₂ =2 [Co(NH₃)₄CO₃]NO₃ + 2NH₄NO₃ + 2H₂O

ivy914 · Post by **ivy914** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:04 am

thank you! : )

I know that the you have to look at what is oxidized and reduced in redox equations, like you said, but how exactly does that work? i am very confused on how to balance redox equations. there is a method of splitting the equation into two separate ones, one for oxidation and one for reduction .. but i still can't get it to work.