Notes

Balancing of Chemical Equations by Oxidation Number Method

Balancing of Chemical Equations by Oxidation Number Method is best explained in the following steps:
Step 1: Write the Skeletal equation for all the known reactants and product of the reaction.
Step 2: Indicate the O.N. of all the atoms in each compound in the skeletal equation and ignore the atoms or groups in which there is no change of Oxidation Number. Now, identify the atom undergoing change in their O.N.
Step 3: Balance the Chemical equation with respect to all atoms except H and O.
Step 4: Calculate the increase or decrease in the Oxidation Number per atom and then for the whole molecule in which it occurs. If these are not equal then multiply by suitable coefficients so that these become equal.