Balance the following reaction in acidic solution. Br Solution That\'s not a com

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That's not a complete reaction, the oxygen is missing. Elements just don't disappear from reactions, they have to go somewhere. In a typical displacement you would have Br + MnO4 --> Br2O + Mn (Then you'd have to balance it!) Elements in elemental form (any element alone, like Br or O2) has a oxidation state of zero. Any bonded element gains an oxidation number because it has a net charge in reaction (either zero net charge or actual net charge, for instance, NO3- which always carries a -1 charge). O is ALWAYS -2, H is almost always +1, and everything else is variable. Remember OILRIG. Oxidation Is Loss (of electrons), Reduction Is Gain (of electrons). Since electrons have a negative charge, a loss of them leads to a greater POSITIVE charge; a gain of them leads to a greater NEGATIVE charge. So getting back to YOUR equation: Br + MnO4 --> Br2O + Mn Br is 0 on left and has a charge on the right. Mn has a charge on the left and is 0 on the right. Br 0 to +2 (Br must = +2 to balance O, since O is always -2) = LOSS of electrons Mn: O4 = -8 (-2x4), with a net charge -1, so -8 +x=-1, Mn = +7. +7 to 0 is GAIN of electrons

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