Question

Can you represent the reduction of tellurite ion, `TeO_3^(2-)`, to tellurium metal by the oxidation of iodide ion?

Answer 1

Iodide anion is oxidized to iodine...........

`I^(-) rarr1/2I_2(s) + e^-` `(i)`

Explanation:

`I^(-) rarr1/2I_2(s) + e^-` `(i)`

Tellurite ion is reduced to tellurium metal...........

`TeO_3^(2-) +6H^+ + 4e^(-) rarr stackrel(0)Te + 3H_2O` `(ii)`

Mass and charge are balanced in each instance. And so we take `4xx(i)+(ii):`

`TeO_3^(2-) +4I^(-) +6H^(+)rarr Te + 2I_2 + 3H_2O`

Which is balanced with respect to mass and charge. Whether it represents an actual chemical reaction, I don't know...........