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4
REDOX REACTIONS
Oxidation and Reduction
Oxidising and Reducing Agents
Redox Reactions
OXIDATION AND REDUCTION
1. Simple half-equations
In inorganic chemistry, oxidation and reduction are best defined in terms of electron
transfer.
Oxiation is the loss of ele!t"ons. When a species loses electrons it is said to be
oxidised.
Eg Na Na
+
+ e (each sodium atom loses one electron)
2I
, .r
, I
I2 + 2e ? oxidation
(the oxidation halfe6uation must be multiplied by 7 to e6uate the electrons)
>I
7I2 + >e
o+erall( *20/7 + >*
+
+ >I
and 02/$
2
are all reducing agents.
# redox reaction can thus be described as a transfer of electrons from a reducing agent to
an oxidising agent.
Eg I2 + 202/$
2
2I
+ 07/4
2
*alfe6uations( I2 + 2e 2I
(reduction)
202/$
2
07/4
2
+ 2e (oxidation)
I2 is the oxidising agent2 07/4
2
is the reducing agent.
Eg *20/7 + >*
+
+ >I
I2 + 2e (oxidation)
*20/7 is the oxidising agent, I
are t!o examples(
Eg *2/2 + 2*
+
+ 2e 2*2/ reduction
*2/2 /2 + 2*
+
+ 2e oxidation
Eg "l/
+ 2*
+
+ 2e "l
reduction
"l/
"l/$
+ 7*
+
+ 7e oxidation
0pecies such as these are capable of undergoing oxidation and reduction simultaneously.
The simultaneous oxiation an "eu!tion of the same spe!ies is 6no&n as
isp"opo"tionation.
:isproportionation reactions are special examples of redox reactions.
Eg *2/2 + 2*
+
+ 2e 2*2/ reduction
*2/2 /2 + 2*
+
+ 2e oxidation
2*2/2 2*2/ + /2 disproportionation
oxidation numbers( +, 2 5
Eg ("l/
+ 2*
+
+ 2e "l
) x 2 reduction
"l/
"l/$
+ 7*
+
+ 7e oxidation
$"l/
2"l
+ "l/$
disproportionation
oxidation numbers +, , +8