Question

which statement is true of the following reaction?
h₂ + o₂⟶h⁺ + o²⁻
it is balanced for oxidation state and for number of atoms
it is not balanced for oxidation state or for number of atoms.
it is not balanced for oxidation state but is balanced for number of atoms.
it is balanced for oxidation state but is not balanced for number of atoms

Explanation:

1. Atom balance check:

• Left side: 2 H (from \(H_2\)) and 2 O (from \(O_2\)).
• Right side: 1 H (from \(H^+\)) and 1 O (from \(O^{2 -}\)). So, the number of atoms is not balanced.

1. Oxidation state balance check:

• In \(H_2\), oxidation state of H is 0; in \(O_2\), oxidation state of O is 0.
• In \(H^+\), oxidation state of H is + 1; in \(O^{2-}\), oxidation state of O is - 2.
• For H: total change in oxidation state on left (0 for 2 H) vs right (+1 for 1 H) – not balanced.
• For O: total change in oxidation state on left (0 for 2 O) vs right (-2 for 1 O) – not balanced.

So, the reaction is not balanced for oxidation state or for number of atoms.

Answer:

It is not balanced for oxidation state or for number of atoms.