A lot of theory I have seen on redox reactions focuses on measuring equilibrium constants for these reactions using electrode potentials etc. But now I am trying to find out how to calculate equilibrium concentrations in redox systems,
given all equilibrium constants, and don't know how to do it.
Say e.g. I drop iron in water. The equilibria are Fe
3+ + e
- Fe
2+, Fe
2+ + 2e
- Fe, H2O
H
+ + OH
-, O
2 (g) + 4H
+ + 4e
- H
2O, 2H
+ + 2e
- H
2 (g).
I can see no way to write the equilibrium system of equations this time. Even if we are given K values for all equilibria above. Yet I find this is a central question in order to understand redox equilibrium.