Redox

Reactions
INPUT

• Corrosion occurs readily on boats due to the flow

of electrons out of the metals turning the metal
into ions.

A corrosive free propeller

A propeller that has

corroded in the water
INPUT
When two metals are submerged into an
electrolytic solution and touched together,
electricity is produced by flowing electrons out
of one of the metals. You can see the propeller
has lost some of its metal.
No zinc is used here

Electrons leave
the zinc anode
but do not leave
the other metal.

To keep the metal in the propeller from

corroding, the reactive metal of zinc is oxidized
and turned into ions, instead of the propeller.

Zinc was used here

INPUT
Oxidized Zinc
This particular piece of zinc is made to
go around the propeller shaft to
protect the shaft and the propeller.

This is what the corroded zinc looks

like. This corroded zinc was located on
the shaft of a propeller.

The zinc on this shaft and propeller was

allowed to completely oxide. This allowed
oxidation to occur to the propeller and
shaft it was supposed to protect.
Redox Reactions

• Redox reactions occur when there is a gain

and loss of electrons from different reactants.

• Reduction and oxidation go hand in hand.

• If one compound loses 10e-, than another has

to gain 10e-.

• The following reactions show metals reacting

and exchanging electrons with each other and
with non-metals:
 Balancing Redox Reactions

For instance, if you put copper metal into a

solution of silver nitrate (AgNO3), you will
see the copper begin to dissolve as dark
silver solid begins to appear.
For redox reactions, start with half of the reaction at a time.

Cu(s)  Cu2+(aq) + 2 e- copper loses

electrons
Balance the electrons
22[
22 Ag+(aq) + 22 e  2 Ag(s) ]
-
silver ions pick up the
electrons
2Ag+(aq) + Cu(s)  2 Ag(s) + Cu2+(aq) Add together

Electrons were gained by the Ag and lost by the Cu

The Ag was reduced (+1 → 0)
and the Cu was oxidized (0 → +2)
 Student Practice

Even aluminum can “rust” or oxidize.

This is a redox reaction, because any time something gets oxidized,
something else must be reduced. (The electrons have to go
somewhere!)
How many electrons Balance the
transfer in each half electrons.
reaction?
4 [ Al(s)  Al3+(aq) + 3e- ]
3 [ O2(g) + 4e-  2O2-(aq) ]
3 O2(g) +Final
4 Al(s) answer?
 4 Al3+ (aq) + 6 O2- (aq)

How did you do?

 Student Practice
Now try these on your own.
Cadmium ripping off iron’s electrons:

1) Feo → Fe2+ + 2e -

2e - + Cd2+ → Cdo
Cd2+ + Feo → Fe2+ +
Cdo
Our trouble-making reaction. Iron going to rust:
2) 4 [ Feo → Fe3+ + 3e - ]
3 [ 4e - + O2 → 2O2- ]
4Feo + 3O2 → 4Fe3+ + 6O2- 2 Fe2O3 (s)
Just
These
one
don’t
morestay
thing
apart.
… (RUST)
Bring it Together

Redox reactions can be used to

generate electricity by having the
electrons that are pulled from one
metal to another pass through an
electric device.

We will take a closer look at how the

redox reaction is used to generate
electricity.
 The Battery

• Let’s take a practical look at how the oxidation and

reduction of metals as they gain and lose electrons
can be used to our own advantage as a human race.

• If a light or electronic device is placed between the

metals as the electrons pass from one metal to the
other, then the energy can be used.

• Use the chart on the following slide to determine

whether an element is more or less reactive than
another. Elements near the bottom of the chart with
negative numbers are more reactive and readily give
up their electrons to the elements above
 STANDARD REDUCTION POTENTIALS Fe3+ + 3e-  Fe(s) -0.06
IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION AT 25° C Pb2+ + 2 e-  Pb(s) -0.13
Sn2+ + 2 e-  Sn(s) -0.14

Half-Reactions . E° (Volt) Ni2+ + 2 e-  Ni(s) -0.25

F2 (g) + 2 e-  2 F- 2.87 Co2+ + 2 e-  Co(s) -0.28

Co3+ + e-  Co2+ 1.82 TI + + e-  TI(s) -0.34

Au3+ + 3 e-  Au (s) 1.50 Cd 2+ + 2 e-  Cd(s) -0.40

Cl2 (g) + 2 e-  2 Cl- 1.36 Cr 3+ + e-  Cr2+ -0.41

Fe 2+ + 2e-  Fe(s) -0.44
O2 (g) + 4 H + 4 e + -
 2 H2O (l) 1.23
Cr 3+ + 3 e-  Cr(s) -0.74
Br2 (l) + 2 e-  2 Br- 1.07 Zn 2+ + 2 e-  Zn(s) -0.76
2 Hg2+ + 2 e-  Hg22+ 0.92 Mn 2+ + 2 e-  Mn(s) -1.18
Hg2+ + 2 e-  Hg (l) 0.85 Al 3+ + 3 e-  Al(s) -1.66
Ag+ + e-  Ag(s) 0.80 Be 2+ + 2 e-  Be(s) -1.70
Hg2 + 2 e
2+ -
 2 Hg(l) 0.79 Mg 2+ + 2 e-  Mg(s) -2.37
Fe3+ + e-  Fe2+ 0.77 Na + + e-  Na(s) -2.71
I2 (s) + 2 e-  2 I- 0.53 Ca 2+ + 2 e-  Ca(s) -2.87
Cu+ + e-  Cu(s) 0.52 Sr 2+ + 2 e-  Sr(s) -2.89
Cu2+ + 2 e-  Cu(s) 0.34 Ba 2+ + 2e-  Ba(s) -2.90
Cu2+ + e-  Cu+ 0.15 Rb + + e-  Rb(s) -2.92
Sn4+ + 2 e-  Sn2+ 0.15 K + + e-  K(s) -2.92
S(s) + 2 H + 2 e
+ -
 H2S (g) 0.14 Cs + + e-  Cs(s) -2.92
2 H+ + 2 e-  H2 (g) 0.00 Li + + e-  Li(s) -3.05
 e-
e-

K+ K+ NO3-
NO3-
NO3- K+

Salt Bridge

Salt Bridge
Zinc
metal Zn2+ SO42- Cu2+ Copper
NO3- NO3-
metal
Cu2+
Zn NO3- NO3- SO42-
e- SO42- Cu
Zn2+ Zn2+ Cu2+
e- NO3- Cu
Zn2+ NO3-
Cu2+
SO42-
Cu2+
Zn NO3
-
2+

Zn2+ Cu2+ SO42-

NO3-
NO3- NO3- SO42-

Zn(NO3)2 CuSO4