Redox reactions Notes

 Redox reaction.

Reactions in which oxidation and reduction occur simultaneously are called redox reactions.

According to electronic concept every redox reaction consists of two steps known as
half reactions.
Oxidation reaction: Half reactions that involve loss of electrons are called oxidation reactions.
Reduction reaction: Half reactions that involve gain of electrons are called reduction reactions.
Oxidising agent: Acceptor of electrons.
Reducing agent: Donor of electrons.

Oxidation Reducing agent + e- → Product During oxidation an oxidation

number increases
Reduction Oxidising agent → Product + e- During reduction an oxidation
number decreases

 Oxidation Number

It is the oxidation state of an element in a compound which is the charge assigned to an atom of
a compound is equal to the number of electrons in the valence shell of an atom that are gained
or lost completely or to a large extent by that atom while forming a bond in a compound.

• Rules for Assigning Oxidation Numbers

1. The oxidation number of an element in its elementary form is zero.
For example, H2, 02, N2 etc. have oxidation number equal to zero.
2. In a single monoatomic ion, the oxidation number is equal to the charge on the ion. For
example, Na+ ion has oxidation number of +1 and Mg2+ ion has +2.
3. Oxygen has oxidation number -2 in its compounds.

However, there are some exceptions.

Compounds such as peroxides. Na202, H202 oxidation number of oxygen = – 1

In OF2 O.N. of oxygen = +2

4. In non-metallic compounds of hydrogen like HCl, H2S, H2O oxidation number of hydrogen = +
1, but in metal hydrides oxidation number of hydrogen = -1
[LiH, NaH, CaH2 etc.]
5. In compounds of metals and non-metals metals have positive oxidation number while non-
metals have negative oxidation number. For example, In NaCl. Na has +1 oxidation number
while chlorine has -1.
6. If in a compound there are two non-metallic atoms the atoms with high electronegativity is
assigned negative oxidation number while other atoms have positive oxidation number.
7. The algebraic sum of the oxidation number of all atoms in a compound is equal to zero.
8. In polyatomic ion the sum of the oxidation no. of all the atoms in the ion is equal to the net
charge on the ion. For example, in (C03)2- Sum of carbon atoms and three oxygen atoms is
equal to -2.

 Disproportionation Reaction.

In a disproportionation reaction an element in one oxidation state is simultaneously

oxidises and reduced.
For example,

Oxygen changes its oxidation number from -1 to -2 (reduction) and the same oxygen
changes its oxidation number from -1 to 0 (oxidation).

• Balancing of Redox Reactions

Half Reaction Method. In this method two half equations are balanced separately and then
added together to give balanced ionic equation equation.

Example 1.

Example 2.

The first half-equation must be multiplied by 2 to give 2 electrons, as in the second half-
equation. 2Na → 2Na+ + 2e-
 • Electrochemical series (the reactivity series of metals)

The reactivity series is a way of ranking metals in order of their reactivity towards other
substances. The series is typically based on how readily a metal can lose electrons and form
positive ions, with more reactive metals being more likely to do so. The most reactive metals,
such as potassium and sodium, are at the top of the series, while less reactive metals like gold
and platinum are at the bottom. It has been formed by arranging the metals in order of increasing
their reactivity with oxygen, water and dilute acids.

Displacement reactions are chemical reactions in which a more reactive metal (a metal with
more tendency to lose electrons) displaces a less reactive metal from an aqueous solution of one
of its salts.

All displacement reactions are also redox reactions (oxidation-reduction reactions) as they
involve the exchange of electrons.

Example 1: Magnesium is more reactive than copper, so magnesium replaces copper in the salt
(it actually forms magnesium ions which react with the sulfate ions, and form magnesium
sulfate).

Example 2: when zinc metal is added to a solution of copper sulfate, the zinc displaces the
copper from the compound, forming zinc sulfate and copper metal:
  Electrolytic Cell.

The cell in which electrical energy is converted into chemical energy. Example, when lead
storage battery is recharged, it acts as electrolytic cell.

Electrolysis of Molten Compounds

 A binary ionic compound is one consisting of just two elements joined together by ionic
bonding.
 When these compounds undergo electrolysis, they always produce their corresponding
elements.
 To predict the products made at each electrode, first identify the ions.
 The positive ion will migrate towards the cathode and the negative ion will migrate
towards the anode.
 Therefore, the cathode product will always be the metal, and the product formed at
the anode will always be the non-metal.

Example: Electrolysis of molten lead(II) bromide

Method:

 Add lead(II) bromide into a beaker and heat it so it will turn molten, allowing ions
to be free to move and conduct an electric charge.
 Add two graphite rods as the electrodes and connect this to a power supply.
 Turn on the power supply and allow electrolysis to take place.
 Negative bromide ions move to the positive electrode (anode) and each loses
one electron to form bromine molecules. There is bubbling at the anode as
brown bromine gas is given off.
 Positive lead ions move to the negative electrode (cathode) and gain electrons to
form a grey lead metal which deposits on the surface of the electrode.
  Extraction of metals

The method of extraction of metals from their ores depends on where they are
placed in the reactivity series.

Metals that are on the top of the reactivity series are extracted by electrolysis. Metals below C
(carbon) in the reactivity series are extracted using carbon (coke).

 The Blast furnace

 Iron ore (haematite – mainly Fe2O3) is used to make iron and steel.
 Iron is produced (extracted) in a blast furnace by reducing iron oxide with carbon and it is the
carbon that removes the oxygen from the iron oxide – the carbon is known as the reducing
agent. Coke (carbon) is a cheap and readily made reducing agent.
 Iron is not a very reactive metal, so, because its position in the reactivity series of metals, iron
can be extracted using carbon in a blast furnace because iron is below carbon (iron is less
reactive than carbon). Therefore, iron can be displaced from its eg its oxides, by heating with the
theoretically 'more reactive' carbon in a sort of displacement reaction.
 Iron oxide ore is mined in many parts of the world.
  The description of the process of iron extraction using the Blast Furnace

1. solid mixture of magnetite/haematite

ore, coke and limestone is continuously fed
into the top of the blast furnace.

The double role and function of coke

(carbon):

1st Coke function As a fuel: The coke is

ignited at the base and hot air blown in to
burn the coke (carbon) to form carbon
dioxide in an oxidation reaction (C gains O).

The heat energy is needed to raise the

temperature of the blast furnace to over
1000oC to effect the ore reduction.

carbon + oxygen => carbon dioxide

C + O2 => CO2

The carbon is oxidised to carbon dioxide and

in doing so releases a lot of heat energy.

 2. 2nd Coke function As a reducing agent

o At high temperatures the carbon dioxide
formed, reacts with more coke (carbon) to
form carbon monoxide
o carbon dioxide + carbon ==> carbon
monoxide
 CO2(g) + C(s) ==> 2CO(g) (equation with
state symbols)
o Note that in this reaction carbon dioxide,
CO2, is reduced by oxygen loss to the carbon
monoxide, and the carbon is oxidised by
oxygen, O gain to carbon monoxide.
 The carbon monoxide is the molecule that
actually removes the oxygen from the iron
oxide ore – this is the action of a reducing
agent in the context of producing iron from
iron oxide ores.

3. This frees the iron, which is molten at the

high blast furnace temperature, and trickles
down to the base of the blast furnace and
run off.

An example of the main reduction reaction

is ...

iron(III) oxide + carbon monoxide ==>

iron + carbon dioxide
 Fe2O3(s) + 3CO(g) => 2Fe(l/s) + 3CO2(g)

The carbon monoxide is oxidised, gains

oxygen to form carbon dioxide.
4. The reactions inside the furnace produce
carbon dioxide and nitrogen. These hot waste
gases rise up the furnace and are removed

5. The role of limestone in the extraction

of iron

 The original iron ore contains acidic

mineral impurities such as silica (SiO2,
silicon dioxide).
 These react with the calcium
carbonate (limestone) to form a molten
slag, the main ingredient being calcium
silicate.
 Formation of the waste slag equations:

1) CaCO3 ==> CaO + CO2

2) CaO + SiO2 ==> CaSiO3

 Extraction of aluminium using electrolysis

Bauxite is the most common form of Aluminium Oxide. It is mainly composed of Al2O3
Bauxite has a melting point of 2000 0C, which is very expensive. So, the bauxite is dissolved in
molten Cryolite (which has a melting point of 9000C) This uses up less energy, thus decreases
electricity cost.
During electrolysis, the Aluminium ions go to the negative electrode (cathode) and
Oxygen forms at the positive electrode.
Because the (positive) electrodes are made out of graphite (a form of Carbon), they react with
the Oxygen that is formed to create Carbon Dioxide. This is why the positive electrodes need
replacement often.
Half-equations for the reactions at the electrodes in aluminium extraction
At the cathode: Al3+ + 3e– > Al0
At the anode: 2O2- → O2 + 4e–
Half-equations for the reactions at the electrodes in aluminium extraction after balancing
electrons:
At the cathode: 4Al3+ + 12e– > 4Al0
At the anode: 6O2- → 3O2 + 12e–
The overall ionic equation of the extraction of aluminium from bauxite:
4Al3+ + 6O2- > 4Al0 + 3O2