[0rion]

hey guys, can anyone help me out with this?

Heres the reaction:

Au + CN^- + O₂ Au(CN4)^- + OH^-

My problem is i dont know what to do with the half reactions...

The one is simple....

3e^- + 2H⁺ + O₂  2OH^-

But what to do with the other one? ive tried balancing
 Au  Au3⁺
and Au + CN^-  Au(CN₄)^- and neither worked for me

What do i do?
Thanks in advance

[AWK]

Not so tricky, firstly correct formula Au(CN4)-
correctly should be Au(CN)_2-  or in your case Au(CN)_4-
Then in your case
Au = Au³⁺ +e^-
O₂ + H₂O +  e- = OH^-
both half reaction should be balanced

[0rion]

Huh? the charge on the left is 0 and on the right is 2+? how does that work

lol yeah soz about the typos with CN^- :S

[0rion]

Sorry to spread this over two posts but i only just realised what you put...

O2 + H2O +  e- = OH-
4 O and 2 H            1 O and 1 H

zar?

[Borek]

What AWK posted are skeletal reactions, you have to balance them. All reactants are in place, just stoichiometry is not correct yet.

[0rion]

OK obviously the way you guys do redox and the way i have been taught are different im lost by what you're saying

[ARGOS++]

Dear Orion;

Do you know how to balance red- and ox- reaction equations?:
        http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/c123/balance.html 

Good Luck!
                    ARGOS⁺⁺

[Borek]

OK obviously the way you guys do redox and the way i have been taught are different im lost by what you're saying

This is skeletal reaction:

H₂ + O₂ -> H₂O

This is balanced reaction:

2H₂ + O₂ -> 2H₂O

This is skeletal half-reaction:

O₂ + H₂O +  e^- = OH^-

Now you have to balance it - balance both atoms and charge, that's not different from normal balancing.

[lucas89]

Balance your half reaction by placing the correct coefficients in the reaction if nessecary, and then balance the oxygens by adding water and continuing from there in either acidic or basic conditions. Ring any bells?