OXIDATION

and

REDUCTION
Chairus Saleh
SMAN 1 Pamekasan

Have you have ever walked along the Singapore River ?

Then you might have noticed these life-size sculptures of cats. If you take a very close look at the sculptures, you might notice that they have a green coating. The coating is the result of a chemical reaction, involving the processes of oxidation and reduction. In this chapter, you will learn more about oxidation, reduction and redox reactions.

1. Oxidation Reactions
2. Reduction Reactions 3. Redox Reactions 4. Oxidising and Reducing agents

What is Oxidation ? What is Reduction ? What is Redox Reaction ? What is an Oxidising and reducing agent ?

Oxidation Reactions
What is oxidation ? The term oxidation was first used to describe reactions in which oxygen combined with an element or a compound to form another substance. Nowadays, we say that a substance is oxidised if it gains oxygen, loses hydrogen, loses electrons or increases its oxidation state after a reaction.

Reduction Reactions What is reduction ? A reduction reaction is the reverse process of an oxidation reaction. Reduction has taken place if a substance loses oxygen, gains hydrogen, gains electrons or decreases its oxidation state after a reaction.

Redox Reactions What is Redox Reaction ?

Oxidation and reduction always take place together. In other words, there can be no oxidation without reduction and vice versa. We call the combined process a redox reaction.
(The word redox comes from reduction and oxidation)

Oxidising Agents

What is an oxidising agent ?

A substance that causes another substance to be oxidised is called an oxidising agent. An oxidising agent is reduced when it oxidises another substance.

Reducing Agents

What is an reducing agent ? A substance that causes another substance to be reduced is called an reducing agent. The reducing agent is oxidised in the process.

Oxidation Gain of Oxygen When calcium burns in oxygen, the following reaction takes place : calcium + oxygen calcium oxide

2Ca(s) + O2(g) 2CaO(s)

Since calcium has gained oxygen, we say that it has been oxidised to calcium oxide. This process is called oxidation.

 Oxidation also takes place when methane burns in oxygen. The equation for reaction is :
methane + oxygen carbon dioxide + water vapour

CH4(g) + 2O2(g) CO2(g) + 2H2O(g)

The carbon atom in methane has gained oxygen and has been oxidised to carbon dioxide. The hydrogen in methane has also gained oxygen. It has been oxidised to water vapour.

Oxidation Loss of Hydrogen

When ammonia is passed over heated copper(II) oxide, the following reaction occurs:
ammonia + copper(II) oxide nitrogen + copper + water vapour

2NH3(g) + 3CuO N2(g) + 3Cu(s) + 3H2O(g)

Ammonia has lost hydrogen. It has been oxidised to nitrogen

 Oxidation also takes place when hydrogen sulphide and chlorine gas are mixer. A yellow deposit of sulphur forms and a choking gas, hydrogen chloride, is produced.
Hydrogen sulphide + chlorine hydrogen chloride + sulphur

H2S(g) + C2(g) 2HC(g) + S(s)

yellow

Hydrogen sulphide has been oxidised to sulphur.

Oxidation Loss of Electrons Oxidation reactions can take place even if there is no oxigen or hydrogen present. When a substance loses electrons during a reaction, it is oxidised. Therefore, in terms of electron transfer, oxidation is defined as the loss of electrons from a substance. Consider the reaction between magnesium and chlorine to form magnesium chloride.

Magnesium + chlorine magnesium chloride

Mg(s) + C2(g) MgC2(s)

Electrons have been transferred during this reaction. The following half equations represent the transfer of electrons.

Mg(s) Mg2+(s) + 2eMagnesium atoms lose electrons to form magnesium ions.

C2(g) + 2e- 2C -(s)

Chlorine moleculs gain electrons to form chloride ions.

In this reaction, magnesium has been oxidised.

What happens when copper is placed into silver nitrate solutions ? If a coil of copper is placed in a solution of silver nitrate, the copper slowly reacts and the solution turns blue. At the same time, the copper coil becomes coated with a layer of silver metal. The overall equation for the reaction is :
copper + silver nitrate copper(II) nitrate + silver

Cu(s) + 2AgNO3(aq) Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2Ag(s)

blue

The ionic equation for this reaction is: Cu(s) + 2Ag+(aq) Cu2+(aq) + 2Ag(s) In this reaction, each copper atom loses two electrons and becomes a copper(II) ion in aqueous solution. Cu(s) Cu2+(aq) + 2eOxidation of copper has takes place. The copper atom has been oxidised to the copper(II) ion.

Oxidation Increase in Oxidation state

What is Oxidation state (oxidation number) ? The oxidation state (oxidation number) is the charge an atom of an element would have if it existed as an ion in a compound (even if it is actually covalently bonded).

Oxidation Increase in Oxidation state To work out the oxidation state of an atom, we apply the following rules: 1. The oxidation state of a free element is zero. 2. The oxidation state of a simple ion is the same as the charge on the ion. 3. The oxidation states of the atoms present in the formula of a compound add up to zero. 4. The total of oxidation states of the atoms in polyatomic ion is equal to the charge on the ion.

How can we determine the oxidation states of atoms in a compound ?

In the compound magnesium oxide, MgO, magnesium exists as the ion Mg2+. Since magnesium has two positive charge, its oxidation state is +2 (rule 2). Oxygen exists as the ion, O2- , thus it has the oxidation state -2.
MgO

oxidation state

( +2 -2 ) sum = 0

How can we determine the oxidation states of atoms in a compound ?

Carbon dioxide, CO2 is a covalent compound. However, we can assume each oxygen ion has an oxidation state of -2 (rule 2). Using rule 3, carbon has an oxidation state of +4.
oxidation state ( +4 -2 x 2 ) sum = 0

CaO2

How can we use oxidation states to identify oxidation ?

If the oxidation state of a substance increases, the substance has been oxidised.
Consider the reaction between zinc and a solution of copper(II) ions.

Zn(s) + Cu2+(aq) Zn2+(aq) + Cu(s)

0 +2 Increase in oxidation state oxidation state

Zinc atoms (oxidation state = 0) become zinc ions, Zn2+(oxidation state = +2). The oxidation state of zinc has increased from 0 to +2. We say that zinc has been oxidised to zinc(II) ions.

To check whether oxidation has taken place in any reaction, follow the tree steps bellow ;

1. Write the balanced equation for the reaction. 2. Write the oxidation states of all the substances in the reaction. 3. Compare the oxidation states to check which reactant has been oxidised.

For example,
when chlorine gas is bubbled into sodium bromide solution, bromide ions, Br are displaced to form bromine molecules, Br2. We know this because bromine molecules formed turned the solution reddish-brown. (Bromide ions are colourless) Write the balanced equation for the reaction.

1.

C2(g) + 2Br-(aq) 2C-(aq) + Br2(aq)

2. Write the oxidation states of all the substances in the reaction.

C2(g) + 2Br-(aq) 2C-(aq) + Br2(aq)

0 -1 -1 0

oxidation state

3.

Compare the oxidation states to check which reactant has been oxidised. The bromide ions have been oxidised to aqueous bromine because there is an increase in the oxidation state from -1 to 0.

Reduction Loss of Oxygen When a mixture of zinc powder and copper(II) oxide is heated, the following reaction occurs:

Zinc + copper(II) oxide zinc oxide + copper

Zn(s) + CuO(s) ZnO(s) + Cu(s)

In this reaction, the copper(II) oxide has lost its oxygen. It is reduced to copper metal. Zn(s) + CuO(s) ZnO(s) + Cu(s)
reduced

Reduction Gain of Hydrogen When a mixture of chlorine and hydrogen is exposed to sunlight, it explodes and produces white fumes of hydrogen chloride. hydrogen + chloride hydrogen chloride

H2(g) + C2(g) 2HC(g)

Chlorine is reduced as it has gained hydrogen.

Reduction Gain of Electron Reduction is also defined as the gain of electrons by a substance.

When hydrogen sulphide gas is passed into iron(III) chloride solution, a green solution of iron(III) chloride and a light yellow precipitate of sulphur are produced.
iron(III) + hydrogen iron(II) + hydrogen + sulphur chloride sulphide chloride chloride

2FeC3(aq) + H2S(g) 2FeC2(aq) + 2HC(aq) + S(s)

 We can rewrite the above chemical equation in the form of an ionic equation.
2Fe3+(aq) + H2S(g) 2Fe2+(aq) + 2H+(aq) + S(s) (Note that C- the ions are spectator ions.)

In this reaction, each iron(III) ion has gained an electron to form an iron(II) ions, i.e.
Fe3+(aq) + e- Fe2+(aq)

The means that iron(III) ions are reduced to iron(II) ions.

Reduction Decrease in Oxidation state Reduction can also be defined as the decrease in the oxidation state of substance after a reaction.

The ionic equation for the reaction between copper(II) sulphate and zinc is: Zn(s) + Cu2+(aq) Zn2+(aq) + Cu(s)
0 +2 +2 0

Decrease in oxidation state

The oxidation state of copper has decreased by 2. The copper(II) ions, Cu2+, have been reduced to copper atoms, Cu.

Redox Reactions
When steam is passed over heated magnesium, magnesium oxide and hydrogen gas are produced.

magnesium + steam magnesium oxide + hydrogen

Mg(s) + H2O(g) MgO(s) + H2(g)

Has a redox reaction taken place ? A redox reaction has taken place because magnesium has gained oxygen and is oxidised to magnesium oxide. Water has lost oxygen and is reduced to hydrogen.

Redox Reactions

What happens when a black-and-white film is exposed to sunlight ? Black-and-white photographic film contains tiny crystals of silver bromide in gelatine. When a photographic film is exposed to sunlight, the following redox reaction takes place :

2Ag Br (s) 2Ag(s) + Br2(g)

+ -

Redox Reactions Can you deduce which substance is reduced and which is oxidised ?

Since silver ions have gained electrons to form silver mital, the silver ions are reduced. Bromide ions have lost electrons and are oxidised to bromine molecules.

Ag+(s) + e- 2Ag(s) (reduction) 2Br (s) Br2(g) + 2e (oxidation) 2Ag+Br-(s) Br2(g) + 2Ag(s)
oxidation reduction

Oxidising and Reducing Agents

How can we identify the oxidising and reducing agents ?

Let us take a look at the reaction between chlorine and hydrogen sulphide. Try and identify the oxidising and reducing agents.

C2(g) + H2S(g) 2HC(g) + S(s)

Oxidising and Reducing Agents

C2(g) + H2S(g) S(s) + 2HC(g)

Hydrogen sulphide is oxidised to sulphur. Chlorine is reduced to hydrogen chloride. Chlorine is the oxidising agent because it has oxidised hydrogen sulphide to sulphur. Hydrogen sulphide is the reducing agent because it has reduced chlorine to hydrogen chloride.

C2(g) + H2S(g) S(s) + 2HC(g)

oxidised by chlorine reduced by hydrogen sulphide

Concept map