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ChemWiki:TheDynamicChemistryEtextbook>AnalyticalChemistry>Electrochemistry>RedoxChemistry>OxidationReductionReactions

Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
An oxidationreduction (redox) reaction is a type of chemical reaction that involves a transfer of electrons between two species. An oxidation
reduction reaction is any chemical reaction in which the oxidation number of a molecule, atom, or ion changes by gaining or losing an electron.
Redox reactions are common and vital to some of the basic functions of life, including photosynthesis,respiration, combustion, and corrosion or
rusting.

Rules for Assigning Oxidation States

Theoxidationstate(OS)ofanelementcorrespondstothenumberofelectrons,e,thatanatomloses,gains,orappearstousewhenjoiningwithother
atomsincompounds.IndeterminingtheOSofanatom,therearesevenguidelinestofollow:
1. TheOSofanindividualatomis0.
2. ThetotalOSofallatomsin:aneutralspeciesis0andinanionisequaltotheioncharge.
3. Group1metalshaveanOSof+1andGroup2anOSof+2
4. TheOSoffluorineis1incompounds
5. HydrogengenerallyhasanOSof+1incompounds
6. OxygengenerallyhasanOSof2incompounds
7. Inbinarymetalcompounds,Group17elementshaveanOSof1,Group16of2,andGroup15of3.
(Note:ThesumoftheOSsisequaltozeroforneutralcompoundsandequaltothechargeforpolyatomicionspecies.)

Example1:AssigningOSs
DeterminetheOSsoftheelementsinthefollowingreactions:
a. F e(s) + O2(g) F e2 O3(g)
b. F e2+
c. Ag(s) + H2 S Ag2 S(g) + H2(g)

SOLUTIONS
A. FeandO2arefreeelementstherefore,theyeachhaveanOSof0accordingtoRule#1.TheproducthasatotalOSequalto0,andfollowing
Rule#6,OhasanOSof2,whichmeansFehasanOSof+3.
B. TheOSofFecorrespondstoitschargetherefore,theOSis+2.
C. AghasanOSof0,HhasanOSof+1accordingtoRule#5,ShasanOSof2accordingtoRule#7,andhenceAginAg2ShasanOSof+1.

Example2:AssigningOSs
DeterminetheOSoftheboldelementineachofthefollowing:
A. Na3PO3
B. H2PO4

SOLUTIONS
A. The oxidation numbers of Na and O are +1 and 2. Because sodium phosphite is neutral, the sum of the oxidation numbers must be
zero.Lettingxbetheoxidationnumberofphosphorus,0=3(+1)+x+3(2).x=oxidationnumberofP=+3.
B. Hydrogen and oxygen have oxidation numbers of +1 and 2. The ion has a charge of 1, so the sum of the oxidation numbers must be 1.

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Lettingybetheoxidationnumberofphosphorus,1=y+2(+1)+4(2),y=oxidationnumberofP=+5.

Example3:IdentifyingReducedandOxidizedElements
Determinewhichelementisoxidizedandwhichelementisreducedinthefollowingreactions(besuretoincludetheOSofeach):
A. Zn+2H+Zn2++H2
B. 2Al+3Cu2+2Al3++3Cu
C. CO32+2H+CO2+H2O

SOLUTIONS
A. Znisoxidized(Oxidationnumber:0+2)H+isreduced(Oxidationnumber:+10)
B. Alisoxidized(Oxidationnumber:0+3)Cu2+isreduced(+20)
C. Thisisnotaredoxreactionbecauseeachelementhasthesameoxidationnumberinbothreactantsandproducts:O=2,H=+1,C=+4.
(Forfurtherdiscussion,seethearticleonoxidationnumbers).

Anatomisoxidizedifitsoxidationnumberincreases,thereducingagent,andanatomisreducedifitsoxidationnumberdecreases,theoxidizing
agent.Theatomthatisoxidizedisthereducingagent,andtheatomthatisreducedistheoxidizingagent.(Note:theoxidizingandreducingagents
canbethesameelementorcompound).

Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
Redoxreactionsarecomprisedoftwoparts,areducedhalfandanoxidizedhalf,thatalwaysoccurtogether.Thereducedhalfgainselectronsandthe
oxidationnumberdecreases,whiletheoxidizedhalfloseselectronsandtheoxidationnumberincreases.Simplewaystorememberthisincludethe
mnemonicdevicesOILRIG,meaning"oxidationisloss"and"reductionisgain,"andLEOsaysGER,meaning"lossofe=oxidation"and"gain
ofe=reduced."Thereisnonetchangeinthenumberofelectronsinaredoxreaction.Thosegivenoffintheoxidationhalfreactionaretakenupby
anotherspeciesinthereductionhalfreaction.
The two species that exchange electrons in a redox reaction are given special names. The ion or molecule that accepts electrons is called the
oxidizing agent by accepting electrons it causes the oxidation of another species. Conversely, the species that donates electrons is called the
reducingagentwhenthereactionoccurs,itreducestheotherspecies.Inotherwords,whatisoxidizedisthereducingagentandwhatisreducedis
theoxidizingagent.(Note:theoxidizingandreducingagentscanbethesameelementorcompound,asindisproportionationreactions).
Agoodexampleofaredoxreactionisthethermitereaction,inwhichironatomsinferricoxidelose(orgiveup)OatomstoAlatoms,producing
Al2O3.

F e2 O3(s) + 2Al(s) Al2 O3(s) + 2F e(l)

Anotherexampleoftheredoxreactionisthereactionbetweenzincandcoppersulfate.

Example4:IdentifyingOxidizedElements
Usingtheequationsfromthepreviousexamples,determinewhatisoxidizedinthefollowingreaction.
+ 2+
Z n + 2H Zn + H2

SOLUTION
TheOSofHchangesfrom+1to0,andtheOSofZnchangesfrom0to+2.Hence,Znisoxidizedandactsasthereducingagent.

Example5:IdentifyingReducedElements
Whatisreducedspeciesinthisreaction?
+ 2+
Z n+ 2H Zn + H2

SOLUTION
TheOSofHchangesfrom+1to0,andtheOSofZnchangesfrom0to+2.Hence,H+ionisreducedandactsastheoxidizingagent.

Combination Reactions
Combination reactions are among the simplest redox reactions and, as the name suggests, involves "combining" elements to form a chemical
compound.Asusual,oxidationandreductionoccurtogether.Thegeneralequationforacombinationreactionisgivenbelow:

A + B AB

Example6:CombinationReaction
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Equation:H2+O2H2O
Calculation:0+0(2)(+1)+(2)=0
Explanation:InthisequationbothH2andO2arefreeelementsfollowingRule#1,theirOSsare0.TheproductisH2O,whichhasatotalOSof
0.AccordingtoRule#6,theOSofoxygenisusually2.Therefore,theOSofHinH2Omustbe+1.

Decomposition Reactions
Adecompositionreactionisthereverseofacombinationreaction,thebreakdownofachemicalcompoundintoindividualelements:

AB A + B

Example7:DecompositionReaction
Considerthedecompositionofwater:

H2 O H2 + O2

Calculation:(2)(+1)+(2)=00+0
Explanation:Inthisreaction,wateris"decomposed"intohydrogenandoxygen.AsinthepreviousexampletheH2O has a total OS of 0 thus,
accordingtoRule#6theOSofoxygenisusually2,sotheOSofhydrogeninH2Omustbe+1.

Single Replacement Reactions

Asinglereplacementreactioninvolvesthe"replacing"ofanelementinthereactantswithanotherelementintheproducts:

A + BC AB + C

Example8:SingleReplacementReaction
Equation:

C l2 + N aBr N a C l + Br 2

Calculation:(0)+((+1)+(1)=0)>((+1)+(1)=0)+0
Explanation:Inthisequation,BrisreplacedwithCl,andtheClatomsinCl2arereduced,whiletheBrioninNaBrisoxidized.

Double Replacement Reactions

Adoublereplacementreactionissimilartoadoublereplacementreaction,butinvolves"replacing"twoelementsinthereactants,withtwointhe
products:

AB + C D AD + C B

Example9:DoubleReplacementReaction
Equation:Fe2O3+HClFeCl3+H2O
Explanation:Inthisequation,FeandHtradeplaces,andoxygenandchlorinetradeplaces.

Combustion Reactions
CombustionreactionsalmostalwaysinvolveoxygenintheformofO2,andarealmostalwaysexothermic,meaningtheyproduceheat.Chemical
reactionsthatgiveofflightandheatandlightarecolloquiallyreferredtoas"burning."

Cx Hy + O2 C O2 + H2 O

Although combustion reactions typically involve redox reactions with a chemical being oxidized by oxygen, many chemicals "burn" in other
environments.Forexample,bothtitaniumandmagnesiumburninnitrogenaswell:

2T i(s) + N 2 (g) 2T iN (s)

3M g(s) + N 2 (g) M g3 N 2 (s)

Moreover,chemicalscanbeoxidizedbyotherchemicalsthanoxygen,suchasCl2orF2theseprocessesarealsoconsideredcombustionreactions

Disproportionation Reactions
Disproportionation Reactions: In some redox reactions a single substance can be both oxidized and reduced. These are known as
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disproportionationreactions,withthefollowinggeneralequation:
+n n
2A A + A

Wherenisthenumberofelectronstransferred.Disproportionationreactionsdonotneedbeginwithneutralmolecules,andcaninvolvemorethan
twospecieswithdifferingoxidationstates(butrarely).

Example10:DisproportionationReaction
Disproportionationreactionshavesomepracticalsignificanceineverydaylife,includingthereactionofhydrogenperoxide,H2O2pouredovera
cut.Thisadecompositionreactionofhydrogenperoxide,whichproducesoxygenandwater.Oxygenispresentinallpartsofthechemicalequation
andasaresultitisbothoxidizedandreduced.Thereactionisasfollows:

2H2 O2 (aq) 2H2 O(l) + O2 (g)

Explanation:Onthereactantside,HhasanOSof+1andOhasanOSof1,whichchangesto2fortheproductH2O(oxygenisreduced),and0in
theproductO2(oxygenisoxidized).

Summary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp60oVxrT4
Rememberthe7rulesofOSs(thesearevitaltounderstandingredoxreactions)
Oxidationsignifiesalossofelectronsandreductionsignifiesagainofelectrons.
Balancingredoxreactionsisanimportantstepthatchangesinneutral,basic,andacidicsolutions.
Rememberthevarioustypesofredoxreactions
Combinationanddecomposition
Displacementreactions(singleanddouble)
Combustion
Disproportionation
Theoxidizingagentundergoesreductionandthereducingagentundergoesoxidation.

References
1. Petrucci,etal.GeneralChemistry:Principles&ModernApplications.9thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NewJersey:Pearson/PrenticeHall,2007.
2. Sadava,etal.Life:TheScienceofBiology.8thed.NewYork,NY.W.H.FreemanandCompany,2007

Contributors
ChristopherSpohrer(UCD),ChristinaBreitenbuecher(UCD),LuvleenBrar(UCD)
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