NADIA SUBANCE OXIDATION-REDUCTION --Oxidation was used to define a type of reaction whereby substances burned with oxygen to form oxides. In this reaction we look at oxygen, whereby oxidation is the gain of oxygen e.g. 2Mg(s) + O2(g) 🡪 2MgO(s) In this reaction we look at hydrogen, whereby oxidation is the loss of hydrogen e.g. H2S(g) + Cl2(g) 🡪 2HCl(g) + S(s)
--Reduction was used to define the reaction when oxygen was removed from the metal resulting in the metal oxide reducing to pure metal. Most metal ores exist as oxides and thus can be reduced by heating with carbon. In this reaction we look at oxygen, whereby reduction is the loss of oxygen e.g. 2Fe2O3(s) + 3C(s) 🡪 4Fe(s) + 3CO2(g) In this reaction we look at hydrogen, whereby reduction is the gain of hydrogen In both reactions there is a transfer of electrons taking place. For reactions which only indicate oxidation taking place is known as oxidation half reactions. For reactions which only indicate reduction taking place is known as reduction half reactions.
For every oxidation reaction, there is a reduction reaction. These reactions are called redox reactions.
e.g. 2Mg(s) + O2(g) 🡪 2MgO(s)
2Mg 🡪 2Mg2+ whereby magnesium has lost 2 electrons O2 🡪 2O2- whereby oxygen has gained 2 electrons
Magnesium is oxidised and Oxygen is reduced.
Oxidation is known as the loss of electrons (OIL)
Reduction is known as the gain of electrons (RIG) E.g. Bubbling chlorine gas through potassium bromide solution Cl2(g) + 2KBr(aq) 🡪 Br2(l) + 2KCl(aq) 2Br- 🡪 Br2 Each bromide ion has lost 1 electron Cl2 🡪 2Cl- Each chlorine atom has gained 1 electron
Half reactions for this reaction:
Oxidation half reaction: 2Br-(aq) 🡪 Br2(l) + 2e- Reduction half reaction: Cl2(g) + 2e- 🡪 2Cl-(aq) E.g. Sodium reacts with chlorine to form sodium chloride. Identify which element is oxidised or reduced. Reduction 2Na + Cl2 🡪 2[Na+][Cl-]
Oxidation Oxidation half reaction: 2Na(s) 🡪 2Na+(s) + 2e- Reduction half reaction: Cl2(g) + 2e- 🡪 2Cl-(s) Sodium is oxidised because it has lost an electron and chloride is reduce because it gains an electron.
E.g. Zinc displaces copper (II) sulphate to form zinc sulphate solution. Explain where oxidation and reduction occur.
Reduction Zn + [Cu2+][(SO4)2-] 🡪 Cu + [Zn2+][(SO4)2-]
oxidation Oxidation half reaction: Zn(s) 🡪 Zn2+ +2e- Reduction half reaction: Cu2+ + 2e- 🡪 Cu(s) Zinc is oxidised because it loses two electrons and copper is reduced because it gains 2e- Half-reactions A half-reaction is a balanced chemical equation that represents either a loss or gain of electrons by a substance. It tells one part of a story
Writing balanced half-reaction equations
Example: When a piece of copper is placed into a beaker of silver nitrate, the following takes place: Cu(s) + AgNO3(aq) → Cu(NO3)2(aq) + Ag(s)
- To show that the number of electrons gained equals the number of electrons lost in two half-equations, it may be necessary to multiply one or both half-reaction equations by a coefficient to balance the electrons . Therefore Ag half reaction must be multiplied by 2.
- Cu(s) + 2e- → Cu2+(aq) Oxidation
- 2Ag+(aq) + 2e- → 2Ag(s) Reduction
Now add the half-reactions and cancel the terms that appear on both sides of the equation to obtain the net-ionic equation. - 2Ag+(aq) + 2e- + Cu(s) → 2Ag(s)+ Cu2+(aq) + 2e- - 2Ag+(aq) + Cu(s) → 2Ag(s)+ Cu2+(aq) oxidation
2Ag+(aq) + Cu(s) → 2Ag(s)+ Cu2+(aq)
reduction
- Silver ions are reduced to silver metal by reaction with copper metal. Simultaneously, copper metal is oxidized to copper (II) ions by reaction with silver ions. - OXIDATION NUMBERS (STATES) The oxidation state of an element is said to be an indicator of either oxidation or reduction taking place. Oxidation states can be positive, negative or zero. When writing the oxidation state, the sign is placed before the number e.g +1, +2, -1. Thus the oxidation number is the charge an element would contain if the compound was entirely composed of ions. In determining the oxidation state of an element, the following rules must be adhered to: - For an element which is in its free state, the oxidation number of each atom of that element is 0. e.g. H2, P4, S8, Cu. - The oxidation number for H is +1 except when it is bonded to a metal (metal hydride) where it is -1. e.g. NaH. - The oxidation number for O is -2, except in peroxides where it is -1. e.g. H2O2 - For an ion in an ionic compound, the oxidation number is equal to the charge on the ion. E.g. Al2O3. Al3+ = +3, O2- = -2. - In a compound, all oxidation numbers must add up to 0. eg. in H2O 2(+1) + (-2) = 0 1. Determine the oxidation number of S in SO2. S + 2(-2) = 0 S = +4 Thus the compound can be called sulphur (iv) oxide
1. Determine the oxidation number of N in NO3-
N + 3(-2) = -1 N = +5 Thus the compound can be called nitrate (v) ion
1. Determine the oxidation number of Cr in K2Cr2O7
2(+1) + 2Cr + 7(-2) = 0 +2 + 2Cr -14 = 0 Cr = +6 Thus the compound can be called potassium dichromate (vi)
4. Determine the oxidation number of P in Mg3(PO4)2
3(+2) + 2P + 8(-2) = 0 +6 + 2P -16 = 0 P = +5 OXIDATION STATE AND NAMING COMPOUNDS Some elements have more than one oxidation state depending on the compound it is present in.
NO +2 Nitrogen (II) oxide NO2 +4 Nitrogen (IV) oxide N2O +1 Nitrogen (I) oxide REDOX REACTIONS AND OXIDATION STATES Oxidation involves an increase in the oxidation number of an element in its free state or in a compound Reduction involves a decrease in the oxidation number of an element in its free state or in a compound. E.g. Aqueous potassium iodide reacts with chlorine to form potassium chloride and iodine. State which substance is oxidised and which is reduced, giving reasons. Step 1: Write the equation with the oxidation state for each atom or ion. 2KI + Cl2 🡪 2KCl + I2 (+1)(-1) (0) (+1)(-1) (0)
Step 2: Determine which has been reduced or oxidised.
Oxidation -1 🡪 0
2KI + Cl2 🡪 2KCl + I2
(+1)(-1) (0) (+1)(-1) (0)
Reduction 0 🡪 -1
Potassium iodide has been oxidised to iodine thus an increase in oxidation state and loss of electrons. Chlorine is reduced to potassium chloride and thus a decrease in oxidation state and a gain of electrons. E.g 1. CuO(s) + H2(g) 🡪 Cu(s) + H2O(g)
Reduced +2 🡪 0
CuO(s) + H2(g) 🡪 Cu(s) + H2O(g)
(+2)(-2) (0) (0) (+1)(-2)
Oxidised 0 🡪 +1
E.g. 2 AgNO3(aq) + MgBr2(aq) 🡪 AgBr(s) + Mg(NO3)2(aq)
None of the elements have undergone a change in oxidation state and thus this is not a redox reaction
E.g. 3 Mg(s) + ZnSO4(aq) 🡪 MgSO4(aq) + Zn(s)
Reduced +2 🡪 0
Mg(s) + ZnSO4(aq) 🡪 MgSO4(aq) + Zn(s)
(0) (+2)(-2) (+2)(-2) (0)
Oxidised 0 🡪 +2 OXIDISING AND REDUCING AGENTS An oxidising agent is a substance which brings about the oxidation of another substance. In the process it gains electrons, causing the other substance to lose them (OIL). e.g. 2Mg(s) + O2(g) 🡪 2MgO(s) (0) (-2) (+2)(-2)
oxidised reduced Oxygen is called the oxidising agent as it caused the oxidation of Magnesium to magnesium oxide Some common oxidising agents are fluorine, chlorine, bromine, concentrated nitric acid, potassium manganate (VII) and potassium dichromate (VI) A reducing agent is a substance which brings about the reduction of another substance. In the process it loses electrons causing the other substance to gain them (RIG). e.g. CuO(s) + H2(g) 🡪 Cu(s) + H2O(g) (+2)(-2) (0) (0) (+2)(-2)
reduced oxidised Hydrogen is called the reducing agent because it has reduced copper (II) oxide to copper. Some common reducing agents are carbon, carbon monoxide, potassium iodide and reactive metals like potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. N.B. Some compounds can act as both an oxidising and reducing agent. 1. Sulphur Dioxide, SO2 As a reducing agent: 2KMnO4(aq) + 2H2O(l) + 5SO2(g) 🡪 2MnSO4(aq) + K2SO4(aq) + 2H2SO4(aq) (+7) (+2)
Reduction by SO2 As an oxidising agent: 2H2S(g) + SO2(g) 🡪 3S(s) + 2H2O(l) (-2) (0)
Oxidation by SO2 2. Acidified hydrogen peroxide, H2O2 As a reducing agent: 2KMnO4(aq) + 5H2O2(aq) + 3H2SO4(aq) 🡪 K2SO4(aq) + 2MnSO4(aq) + 5O2(g) + 8H2O(l) (+7) (+2)
Reduction by H2O2 As an oxidising agent: 2KI(aq) + H2O2(aq) + H2SO4(aq) 🡪 I2(g) + K2SO4(aq) + 2H2O(l) (-1) (0)
Oxidation by H2O2 Example of Oxidation – Reduction reaction as it applies to life. – THE BREATHALYSER TEST When a person blows into a sample of orange acidified potassium dichromate (VI) crystals, the ethanol in the persons breath would reduce the orange dichromate (VI) ion to the green chromium (III) ion, turning the crystals green. In the process the alcohol is oxidised. TESTS FOR REDUCING AND OXIDISING AGENTS Tests for Oxidising Agents
Chemical and ion used for test Colour Change
Add an acidified aqueous potassium iodide Colourless potassium iodide ion (I-) turns to solution to unknown. (KI(aq)/( I-) brown iodine (I2) Iron (II) sulphate solution (Fe2SO4(aq))/Iron (II) Pale green iron (III) ion (Fe2+) to yellow-brown ion (Fe2+) iron (III) (Fe3+) Hydrogen sulphide gas (H2S(g)) Forms a yellow precipitate of sulphur (S)
Tests for Reducing Agents
Chemical and ion used for test Colour Change
Acidified solution of potassium dichromate (VI) Orange dichromate (VI) ion (Cr2O72-) to green K2Cr2O7(aq) / dichromate (VI) ion (Cr2O72-) chromium ion (Cr3+) Acidified solution of potassium manganate (VII) Purple manganate (VII) ion (MnO4-) to (KMnO4(aq)) / Manganate (VII) ion (MnO4-) colourless manganese (II) ion (Mn2+) Oxidising Agent Test In the reaction with potassium iodide and hydrogen peroxide, the potassium iodide (KI) acts as a reducing agent and the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) acts as an oxidising agent.
The colour changes from colourless, due to the presence of the iodide ion (I-) to brown from the formation of the iodine in solution. The potassium iodide is oxidised by the oxidising agent hydrogen peroxide.
Reducing Agent Test
In the reaction with potassium manganate (VII) and hydrogen peroxide, the potassium manganate (VII) acts as an oxidising agent and the hydrogen peroxide acts as a reducing agent.
The colour changes from purple due to the manganate (VII) ion (MnO4-) to colourless due to formation of the manganese (II) ion (Mn2+). The manganate is reduced by the reducing agent hydrogen peroxide.
