This is an oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction:
SIV - 2 e- → SVI (oxidation)
MgII + 2 e- → Mg0 (reduction)
MgSO3 is a reducing agent, MgSO3 is an oxidizing agent.
Input interpretation
MgSO3 → Mg + SO3
Magnesium sulfur trioxide
Balanced equation
Balance the chemical equation algebraically:
MgSO3 → Mg + SO3
Add stoichiometric coefficients, c2, to the reactants and products:
c1MgSO3 → c2 Mg + c3SO3
Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for Mg, S and O:
Mg: c1 = c2
S: c1 = c3
O: 3c1 = 3c3
Since the coefficients are relative quantities and underdetermined, choose a coefficient to set arbitrarily. To keep the coefficients small, the arbitrary value is ordinarily one. For instance, set c1 = 1 and solve the system of equations for the remaining coefficients:
c1=1 c2=1
c3 = 1
Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to obtain the balanced equation:
Answer:
MgSO3 → Mg + SO3
