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Chemistry Forums for Students => Inorganic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: jgomez9 on April 21, 2011, 04:38:39 AM

Title: balancing a coordination equation
Post by: jgomez9 on April 21, 2011, 04:38:39 AM

I can get everything to balance except that having H2O2 on one side and H2O on the other keeps throwing me off. Normally that is not as much of a problem, but this is such a big equation I am not sure what I am missing. Please help. Thanks
Before I balanced anything:
Co(NO3)2 + NH3 + (NH4)2CO3 + H2O2 = [Co(NH3)4CO3]NO3 + NH4NO3 + H2O

I would normally try to break into half reactions and then balance, but I cant see the half reactions with this one
I have brought it all the way to
10Co(NO3)2 + 26NH3 + 10(NH4)2CO3 + H2O2 = 8[Co(NH3)4CO3]NO3 + 10NH4NO3 + H2O
but the H and O are still off

Title: Re: balancing a coordination equation
Post by: AWK on April 21, 2011, 06:06:59 AM

 Oxidize first Co²⁺ to Co³⁺ with H₂O₂ with forming Co(NO₃)₂OH -this is a redox reaction
then react Co(NO₃)₂OH with (NH₄)₂CO₃ to form CoCO₃NO₃ - this will be exchange reaction
and finally form complex with ammonia
The result should be:
2CO(NO₃)₂ + H₂O₂ + 2(NH₄)₂CO₃ + 6NH₃ on the left side

Show your whole work afterwards