Question

What makes balancing redox reactions different from balancing other reactions?

Answer 1

Redox reactions are those chemical reactions that involve the transfer of electrons between reactants, altering the oxidation state of their elements.

In this type of reactions an element releases electrons that another element accepts, so there is a net transfer of charge.

When balancing redox reactions, not only must the chemical elements in the reactants and products be equalized (by the law of conservation of the mass), but also the charged that is transferred in the process must be balanced, since the electrons that are lost in oxidation are the same as those that are gained in reduction (law of conservation of charge: there is no destruction or net creation of electric charge).