Final answer:
The oxidation half-reaction for iodide to iodine is 2 I- (aq) → I2 (s) + 2 e-. This reaction demonstrates the loss of electrons by iodide ions, indicating their oxidation to molecular iodine.
Step-by-step explanation:
The balanced oxidation half-reaction for the oxidation of iodide (I⁻) to iodine (I2) can be written as follows:
2 I⁻ (aq) → I2 (s) + 2 e−
This half-reaction shows that two iodide ions (I⁻) lose a total of two electrons to form molecular iodine (I2), which is the oxidation process. During this process, the oxidation state of iodine changes from -1 in I⁻ to 0 in I2. Since iodine is a relatively weak oxidizing agent, it allows for the selective titration of strong reducing agents.