I am having difficulty with balancing this acidic solution;

Question

I2+OCl{-} ----> IO3{-} +Cl{-}

I get:
I2 = OCl{-} +2H2O -----> IO3{-} +Cl{-} + 3H{+}
The charges don't balance... What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

I2 + 6H2O ==> 2IO3^- + 10e + 12H^+
OCl^- + 2e + 2H^+ ==> Cl^- + H2O
Multiply equation 1 by 1 and equation 2 by 5 and add, then cancel any common materials on both sides (like H2O)

I think your error was in not comparing apples with apples; ie. I2 can't go to IO3^-. It must be I2 to 2IO3^-. A common error by students; I made the same error when I was a student (and more than once). :-)