Redox Reactions, Ch 19, Sec 1 & 3 Name

______________________

Oxidation & Reduction:

o Oxidation-reduction (well call this redox from now on) rxns
involve a transfer of electrons.
o Definition - Any chem process in which elements undergo changes
in oxidation number (remember those from ch 7, right?) Thats
what I thought. So here are oxidation number rules. Again.

o Remember, you follow the rules and give all other elements in a
cmpd an oxidation number that allows the hard and fast rules of
certain elements to be followed.
o Tyler DeWitt video on oxidation numbers: How to Calculate
Oxidation Numbers
Oxidation:
o Process in which an element experiences an increase in
oxidation number (in other words, loss of electron(s)) from the
reactant to the product side. The element/atom that loses an
electron is said to be oxidized.
o Example: Lets look at sodium in this overly used rxn:
o 2Na + Cl2 2NaCl

0 +
o Na Na
1
+
+ e-
 o We can see that we went from a neutral sodium atom on the
reactant side to a sodium ion with a charge of +1 on the product
side. Notice the loss of electron from the reactant to product side.
Reduction
o Process in which the oxidation number of an element decreases
(in other words, electrons are gained) from the reactant side to
the product side. The element/ion that gains electrons is said to
be reduced.
o Lets go back and look at chlorine in the same rxn:
o 2Na + Cl2 2NaCl

0 -1
o Cl2 + 2e- 2Cl-
o We can see that we went from a neutral chlorine atom to a
chlorine ion with a charge of -1. The chlorine ion gained electrons
from the reactant side to the product side.
Redox Reactions
o Reduction cannot occur without some other element in the
rxn being oxidized. Reduction and oxidation work together.
Where ever one is, the other will be part of the reaction as well.
o If the oxidation numbers on the elements in a compound do not
change from the reactant to the product side, then the rxn is
not a redox rxn. The oxidation numbers have to change from
one side of the arrow to the other in order to consider the reaction
to be a redox rxn.
Redox Mnemonics
o O xidation
o Is
o L oss (of electrons)
o R eduction
o Is
o G ain (of electrons)
Redox Reactions, as a Number Line
o
Reduction The number line
represents the
change in
oxidation numbers
from reactant side
to product side

Oxidation
 Lets Practice:

o Which of the following are redox reactions? For each redox rxn,
identify what is oxidized and what is reduced.

C + O2 CO2

Redox Rxn? ______

Element reduced:______________
Element oxidized: ______________

o NaCl + AgNO3 AgCl + NaNO3

o Redox Rxn? ____

o Element reduced:______________
o Element oxidized: ______________

2KClO3 2KCl + 3O2

Redox Rxn? _____

Element reduced:______________
Element oxidized: ______________

o Zn + CuSO4 ZnSO 4 + Cu

o Redox Rxn? _____

o Element reduced:______________
o Element oxidized: ______________

Reducing & Oxidizing Agents

 o So, you thought calling something reduced that gained
electrons was crazy, I have an even bigger bag of crazy for you
(the crazy never ends in chemistry).
o In redox rxns there is also reducing agents and oxidizing
agents.
o Reducing agent is a compound that has the ability to cause
another substance to be reduced. In other words, the
compound that has the element that is oxidized, is the reducing
agent (are you totally confused now?)
o Oxidizing Agent the compound that has the potential to cause
another element to be oxidized. In other words, the compound
that has the element that will be reduced is the oxidizing agent
(is your head spinning yet?).
o In every redox rxn, there is one reducing agent and one
oxidizing agent.
Lets Practice:
Identify the elements that are reduced and oxidized & identify the
oxidizing & reducing agent in each rxn:

o CH4 + Cl2 CH3Cl + HCl

o _______ is reduced & _______ is the oxidizing agent.

o _______ is oxidized & ______ is the reducing agent.

o AsO3 3- + IO3- AsO4 3- + I

o _______ is reduced & _______ is the oxidizing agent.

o _______ is oxidized & ______ is the reducing agent.

o CuO + NH3 N2 + H2O + Cu

o _______ is reduced & _______ is the oxidizing agent.

o _______ is oxidized & ______ is the reducing agent.

o PbO2 + Pb + H2SO4 PbSO4 + H2O

o _______ is reduced & _______ is the oxidizing agent.

o _______ is oxidized & ______ is the reducing agent.