You will often find that hydrogen ions or water molecules appear on both sides of the ionic equation in complicated cases built up in this way. Always check, and then simplify where possible.
Example 3: The oxidation of ethanol by acidified potassium dichromate(VI)
This technique can be used just as well in examples involving organic chemicals. Potassium dichromate(VI) solution acidified with dilute sulphuric acid is used to oxidise ethanol, CH3CH2OH, to ethanoic acid, CH3COOH.
The oxidising agent is the dichromate(VI) ion, Cr2O72-. This is reduced to chromium(III) ions, Cr3+.
We'll do the ethanol to ethanoic acid half-equation first. Using the same stages as before, start by writing down what you know: