Reduction and Oxidation

(redox chemistry)

Chapter 16
What is a redox reaction?
Oxidation is the addition of oxygen to a substance and
Reduction is the removal of oxygen from a substance.

Which substances are oxidized and reduced in this reaction?

oxygen removed
reduction
lead carbon
oxide + carbon  lead + monoxide

oxygen added
oxidation
Reduction and oxidation always take place together. Why is this type of
reaction called a redox reaction?

redox = reduction and oxidation

Redox reactants – oxidized or reduced?
Redox and electrons
Magnesium burns in oxygen to form
magnesium oxide.

It is obvious that the magnesium has

been oxidized, but what has
happened to the oxygen?

A redox reaction can also be explained

in terms of the gain or loss of electrons.

What happens to the atoms and electrons in this reaction?

magnesium + oxygen  magnesium oxide

2Mg(s) + O2(g)  2MgO(s)
Oxidation and electron loss
When magnesium burns in oxygen to form magnesium oxide, what happens to
magnesium and its electrons?

oxidized
(electrons lost)

Mg + O  Mg2+ O2-

 The magnesium has been oxidized.

 The Mg atom has lost 2 electrons to form a Mg2+ ion.

Oxidation is the loss of electrons.

Oxidation and electron gain
When magnesium burns in oxygen to form magnesium oxide, what happens to oxygen
and its electrons?

reduced
(electrons gained)

Mg + O  Mg2+ O2-

 The oxygen has been reduced.

 The O atom has gained 2 electrons to form a O2- ion.

Reduction is the loss of electrons.

Redox and OILRIG
An easy way to remember what happens to the electrons during oxidation and
reduction is to think… OILRIG!
Using OILRIG
What does OILRIG stand for in terms of redox reactions?

Oxidation

Is

Loss of electrons

Reduction

Is

Gain of electrons
What is a half-equation?
Redox reactions involve the transfer of electrons.

Equations written to show what happens to the electrons during oxidation and
reduction are called half-equations.

What are the half-equations for the oxidation and reduction processes in this
reaction?

magnesium + oxygen  magnesium oxide

2Mg (s) + O2 (g)  2MgO (s)

oxidation: Mg  Mg2+ + 2e-

reduction: O2 + 4e-  2O2-

What does each half-equation show?
Redox reactions – summary
Redox half equations
Balancing half equations
Balancing more challenging examples
1. Balance all atoms (but not O or H yet)
Eg Cr2O72-  2Cr3+

2. Balance O by adding H2O to the other side

Eg Cr2O72-  2Cr3+ + 7H2O
3. Balance H by adding H+ to the other side
Eg 14H+ + Cr2O72-  2Cr3+ + 7H2O
4. Balance charge by adding electrons (e-)
Eg 14H+ + 6e- + Cr2O72-  2Cr3+ + 7H2O
Combining half equations
What are oxidation and reduction?
Oxidation and reduction can be used to describe any of the following processes:

Oxidation Reduction

addition of oxygen loss of oxygen

e.g. 2Mg + O2 ® 2MgO e.g. 2CuO + C ® 2Cu + CO2

loss of hydrogen addition of hydrogen

e.g. CH3OH ® CH2O + H2 e.g. C2H4 + H2  C2H6

loss of electrons gain of electrons

e.g. Al ® Al3+ + 3e- e.g. F2 + 2e-  2F-

What are oxidizing and reducing agents?
Oxidizing agents… Reducing agents…

…oxidize other species …reduce other species

…accept electrons …donate electrons

…are themselves reduced …are themselves oxidized

For example, in the reaction below:

2NaCl + F2 ® 2NaF + Cl2

Fluorine:  oxidizes Cl- (to chlorine gas)

 accepts electrons (from Cl-)

 is reduced (to F-)

 is an oxidizing agent
Oxidizing and reducing agents
Common oxidizing agents: Common reducing agents:

 concentrated sulfuric acid  hydrogen (H2)

(H2SO4)
 zinc (Zn)
 potassium manganate(VII)
(KMnO4)
 carbon (C)
 potassium dichromate(VI)
(K2Cr2O7)  carbon monoxide (CO)

 manganese(IV) oxide  lithium tetrahydrido-aluminate(III),

(MnO2) (LiAlH4)

 chlorine (Cl2)
 sodium tetrahydrido-borate(III)
 hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (NaBH4)
Spot the agent
Oxidation numbers
Working out oxidation numbers
Changes in oxidation number
Oxidation numbers can be used to define the processes of oxidation and
reduction.

During oxidation, the oxidation number increases:

H2 ® 2H+ + 2e-

oxidation
number 0 +1

During reduction, the oxidation number decreases:

Fe3+ + e- ® Fe2+

oxidation
number +3 +2
Oxidation numbers in names
Oxidation numbers can be used in the names of compounds to indicate which oxidation
state a particular element in the compound is in.

The oxidation state is usually put in brackets in roman numerals after the name of the
element in question.
For example:

iron(II) hydroxide iron(III) hydroxide

Fe(OH)2 Fe(OH)3

iron is in oxidation state +2 iron is in oxidation state +3

Oxidation or reduction?
Half equations
Chloride ions can be oxidised to produce chlorine. The half equation for this reaction is:

2Cl– ® Cl2 + 2e-

-1 0
Half equations are used to show the loss or gain of electrons when a species undergoes
oxidation or reduction.

One element in a half equation changes oxidation state. Here chlorine has changed its
oxidation state from -1 to 0.

All redox reactions can be illustrated using half equations. Half equations can be
combined to give the equation for the overall redox process.
Combining half equations
To combine half equations:

 Step 1: Write the half equations. (You may need to work these out if complex
ions and other species such as H+ are involved.)

 Step 2: Make sure that the number of electrons in each half equation is the
same, so that the electrons cancel out. Do this by multiplying one or both
equations to make the number of electrons the same in each case.

 Step 3: Add the half equations and cancel the electrons. It may be possible to
cancel other species that appear on both sides – often H+ or H2O.
Combining half equations – example
Chlorine oxidizes iron(II) to iron(III) and is itself reduced to chloride ions. Write a balanced
equation for this reaction.

 Step 1: Write the half equations.

Eqn. A Cl2(aq) + 2e- ® 2Cl-(aq) chlorine has been reduced

Eqn. B Fe2+(aq) ® Fe3+(aq) + e- iron(II) has been oxidized

 Step 2: Eqn. A involves 2 electrons and Eqn. B involves 1 electron, so multiply

both sides of Eqn. B by two.

2Fe2+(aq) ® 2Fe3+(aq) + 2e-

 Step 3: Add the half equations and cancel the electrons.

Cl2(aq) + 2Fe2+(aq) ® 2Cl-(aq) + 2Fe3+(aq)

Combining half equations
Comparing reactivity
The orders of reactivity of metals with water, oxygen and air can be compared.

with water with oxygen with acid

potassium calcium calcium
sodium magnesium magnesium

lithium zinc aluminium

magnesium iron zinc

copper lead iron

silver copper lead

gold copper

What patterns can you see in these lists?

The reactivity series
Combining the information from all the reactions gives an overall order of reactivity called
the reactivity series.

One way to remember this order is to learn this silly sentence:

please
send
charlie’s
monkeys
and
zebras
in
large
cages
securely
guarded!
What is the order of reactivity?
Using the reactivity series
The reactivity series can be used to make predictions about the reactions of metals.

potassium
Predictions can be made about simple sodium
reactions of metals with oxygen, calcium
water and acids. magnesium

increasing reactivity
aluminium
zinc
iron
lead
Predictions can also be made about copper
more complex reactions where one silver
metal is competing with another. gold
Predicting simple reactions

Use the reactivity series to predict if a reaction will take place and how intense the
reaction will be:

metal reacts with prediction

gold acid
no reaction
calcium water
fizzing
sodium oxygen
burns vigorously
silver oxygen
very slow reaction
zinc oxygen
burns moderately
Corrosion of metals
Metals corrode when they are left in contact
with air or water.

Which metals corrode quickly and which

corrode slowly?

When iron corrodes, it is called rusting.

Rusting is the oxidation reaction of iron with oxygen in the

presence of water.

iron + oxygen  iron oxide

2Fe + 3O2  Fe2O3

Does salt make iron rust faster?
People who live by the seaside often claim that their cars go rusty faster.

Does salt speed up the rate of the rusting reaction?

What is needed for iron to rust?
Preventing rust
Rusting destroys a huge amount of iron and steel every day.

People spend a lot of money making sure that their iron and steel buildings, engines,
lorries and ships do not rust.

What methods could you use to prevent things rusting?

plastic coating
painting

galvanising oiling
Rusting: sacrificial protection
Sacrificial protection is another way of preventing rust.

This involves attaching big blocks of magnesium

or zinc to the iron hull of a ship or water pipe.

Because magnesium is more

reactive than iron, it corrodes first,
leaving the iron intact.

reactive
metal
Eventually the magnesium blocks have
to be replaced because they have
corroded completely away. iron
Rusting: true or false?
What to do now…..
• Read Ch 16 and jot down key points

Complete the following questions

• 16.1 TY 16.1.1, 16.1.2, 16.1.3 Q1-6 p411

Harder examples TY16.1.4, Q1,2 p413
• 16.2 TY 16.2.1 Q1-3 p418
• 16.3 Q1-3 p422
• Chapter review p423-424