Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

(Redox Reactions)

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The chemical changes that occur when electrons
are transferred between reactants are called
oxidation – reduction reactions

2
 oxidation reactions
- principal source of energy on
    -

earth
- combustion of gasoline
    -

- burning of wood
    -

-burning food in your body

3
Oxidation reactions are always accompanied
by a reduction reaction
Oxidation
- originally meant combining with oxygen
   

- iron rusting (iron + oxygen)

   

 
Reduction
- originally meant the loss of oxygen from a
   

compound
removing iron from iron ore ( iron II oxide)
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Electron Transfer in Redox Reactions
  Today
OXIDATION means:
- a LOSS of ELECTRONS
   

 
REDUCTION means:
- a GAIN of ELECTRONS
   

Memory Device :
LEO the lion says GER
(Lose Electrons Oxidation, Gain Electrons Reduction)

OIL RIG (Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain)

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Oxidation is… Reduction is…

–the loss of electrons –the gain of electrons

–an increase in oxidation –a decrease in oxidation

number number

Cl2 + 2e-  2Cl-

Na  Na + e
+ -

notice electrons are on the left

notice the electrons are on the right

OLE -ION REG --DON

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 Assigning Oxidation Numbers
Oxidation States

Oxidation states are numbers assigned to atoms that

reflect the net charge an atom would have if the electrons
in the chemical bonds involving that atom were assigned to
the more electronegative atoms.

Oxidation states can be thought of as “imaginary” charges.

They are assigned according to the following set of rules:

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 #1
The Oxidation number of a simple
ion is equal to its ionic charge
+1 +2 -3
Na + Cu 2+ N3-

8
#2
The Oxidation number of hydrogen
is always +1, except in metal hydrides
like NaH where it is –1

+1 -1
HCl NaH

9
#3
The Oxidation number of oxygen is
always –2 except in peroxides like X2O2
where it is –1

-2 -1
H2 O H 2 O2
 

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#4
The Oxidation number of an
uncombined element is always zero

0 0 0
Na Cu N2

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#5
For any neutral(zero charge) compound,
the sum of the Oxidation numbers is
always zero

+4-2
CO2

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For example, SO42−, the oxidation numbers
of S and O are +6 and −2, respectively.

The sum of all oxidation numbers in the sulfate

ion would be 

(+6)+4(−2)=−2, which is the charge of the ion.

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Consider the compound nitric acid, HNO3.

According to rule 4, the oxidation number of hydrogen is +1+1.

According to rule 3, the oxidation number of oxygen is −2−2.

There is no rule regarding nitrogen, but its oxidation number can be calculated
as follows.
1(+1) + x + 3(−2) = 0,
Where x is the oxidation number of nitrogen
Solving:
x=0−1−(−6)
=-1 + 6
=+5
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#6
For a polyatomic ion, the sum of the
oxidation number equals the charge of the
polyatomic ion

+7 -2
MnO41-

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 Examples - assigning oxidation numbers

Assign oxidation states to all elements:

H2 SO3 SO42-
+ -
K NH3 MnO4

Cr2O72- CH3OH PO43-

- -
ClO3 HSO3 Cu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ6FBA1HM3s
16
 Identifying Redox Reactions

Oxidation and reduction always occur

together in a chemical reaction. For this
reason, these reactions are called “redox”
reactions.

Although there are different ways of

identifying a redox reaction, the best is to
look for a change in oxidation state:

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Oxidation # Changes

an increase in oxidation number of an atom

signifies oxidation
+2 to +4
a decrease in oxidation number of an atom
signifies reduction
0 to -1

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 +2 = OLE - ION

+2 -1 +4 -1 +4 -1 +2 -1

SnCl2 + PbCl4 SnCl4 + PbCl2

-2 = REG - DON

Which is being oxidized?

Sn

Which is being reduced? Pb

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 Which is being oxidized? S

Which is being reduced?

N

-3 = REG ---DON

+2 -2 +1 +5 -2 +2 0 +2 -2 +1 -2
CuS + H+ + NO3- Cu+2 + S + NO + H2O

+2 = OLE - ION

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21
 Examples - labeling redox reactions
In each reaction, look for changes in oxidation state.
If
changes occur, identify the substance being reduced, and the
substance being oxidized.

= +1 (H is oxidized)

0 +2 -2 0 +1 -2

H2 + CuO  Cu + H2O

= -2 (Cu is reduced)
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 Try These!!

+1 = Fe 2+ is oxidized

5 Fe2+ + MnO4- + 8 H+  5 Fe3+ + Mn2+ + 4 H2O

- 5 = Mn 7+ is reduced

+2 = Zn 0 is oxidized

Zn + 2 HCl  ZnCl2 + H2

- 1 = H 1+ is reduced

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20.5 Balancing Redox Equations

There are two methods used to balance redox

reactions

1)the oxidation number change

method

2)the half reaction method

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These methods are based on the fact that the
total number of electrons gained in reduction
must equal the total number of electrons lost in
oxidation

Redox reactions are often quite complicated and

difficult to balance. For this reason, you’ll learn a
step-by-step method for balancing these types of
reactions, when they occur in acidic or in basic
solutions.
25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=mvbPtQfAfUQ&t=490s

26
 Balancing Redox Equations
Using Oxidation-Number Changes
In the oxidation-number-change method,
you balance a redox equation by comparing
the increases and decreases in oxidation
numbers.

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Example 1: In the burning of magnesium,

lost 2 electrons

0 0 +2 -2
Mg + O2 —> MgO
gained 2 electrons

Mg lost 2 electrons per Mg atom. Each atom of oxygen gains 2 electrons, and
since oxygen occurs as O2 molecules, each O2 molecule will gain a total of 4
electrons Therefore, 2 Mg atoms have to be oxidized to reduce a molecule of O2.
The total number of electrons transferred is four (4). The balanced equation for
this reaction is therefore

2Mg + O2 —> 2MgO. 28

Example 2. Balance the following equation using the conservation of
electrons transferred. The oxidation numbers of the elements have been
determined earlier in this lesson.

+3 -2 +2-2 0 +4-2
Fe2O3 + CO—> Fe + CO2

3 electrons gained x 2 , there are already 2 atoms of Fe.

Fe2O3 + CO —> Fe + CO2

2 electrons lost x 3, place a coefficient of 3 for CO

Fe2O3 +3CO—> Fe + CO2 ----then balance the equation 29

 Oxidation Number Change Method
Balance the following: Fe2O3 + CO Fe + CO2

1)Assign ON to all atoms

+3 -2 +2 -2 0 +4 -2
Fe2O3 + CO Fe + CO2

2)Identify which atoms are oxidized and which are reduced

-3 (Fe reduced)

+3 -2 +2 -2 0 +4 -2
Fe2O3 + CO Fe + CO2

+2 (C oxidized)
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3) Make the total increase in oxidation number equal the total
decrease in oxidation number by using appropriate coefficients
on the reactant side only.
-3 (x 2 atoms) = 6 electrons gained

+3 -2 +2 -2 0 +4 -2
Fe2O3 + CO Fe + CO2

+2 (X 3 atoms) = 6 electrons lost

4) Finally check to be sure that the equation is balanced both for

atoms and charge.

Fe2O3 + 3CO 2 Fe + 3CO2

31
Balance this redox equation by using the oxidation-
number-change method.

K2Cr2O7(aq) + H2O(l) + S(s) → KOH(aq) + Cr2O3(s) + SO2(g)

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or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
Step 1: Assign oxidation numbers.

+1 +6 –2 +1 –2 0 +1–2+1 +3 –2 +4 –2
K2Cr2O7(aq) + H2O(l) + S(s) → KOH(aq) + Cr2O3(s) + SO2(g)
Step 2: Identify the atoms that are oxidized and
reduced.

+1 +6 –2 +1 –2 0 +1–2+1 +3 –2 +4 –2
K2Cr2O7(aq) + H2O(l) + S(s) → KOH(aq) + Cr2O3(s) + SO2(g)

• Cr is reduced.
• S is oxidized.
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All Rights Reserved.
Step 3: Connect the atoms that change in
oxidation number. Indicate the signs and
magnitudes of the changes.

–3 3 electrons gained
+6 0 +3 +4
K2Cr2O7(aq) + H2O(l) + S(s) → KOH(aq) + Cr2O3(s) + SO2(g)
+4
4 electrons lost
Step 4: Balance the increase and decrease in oxidation
numbers.
(–3) X 4= –12 gain electrons

+6 0 +3 +4
2K2Cr2O7(aq) + H2O(l) + 3S(s) → KOH(aq) + 2Cr2O3(s) + 3SO2(g)

(+4) x 3 = +12 loss of electrons

Four chromium atoms must be reduced (4 × (–3) = –12 decrease) for

every three sulfur atoms that are oxidized (3 × (+4) = +12 increase).
Put the coefficient 3 in front of S and SO2,
Since there are 2 atoms of Cr, just put the coefficient 2 in front of
K2Cr2O7 and Cr2O3 to make it 4 reduced atoms.
Step 5: Check the equation and balance by
inspection if necessary.

2K2Cr2O7(aq) + 2H2O(l) + 3S(s) →

4KOH(aq) + 2Cr2O3(s) + 3SO2(g)

The coefficient 4 in front of KOH balances

potassium. The coefficient 2 in front of
H2O balances hydrogen and oxygen.

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All Rights Reserved.
• Assign oxidation numbers to each of the atoms in
the equation and determine if the reaction is redox:

1. Fe2O3 (l) + CO (g) —> Fe (l) + CO2 (g)

2. Na2CO3 + 2HClO4 —> CO2 + H2O + 2NaClO4

3. Pb(NO3)2 (aq) + 2KI(aq) —> PbI2(s) + 2KNO3 (aq)

4. 2S2O32- (aq) + I2 (aq) —> S4O62- (aq) + 2I- (aq)

Balance the following redox equations using the change in
oxidation number method:

1.SiO2(s) + C(s) —> Si(s) + CO(g)

2.2. S2O3 2- (aq) + I2 (aq) —> S4O6 2- (aq) + I- (aq)

3.CH4 + NO2 —> N2 + CO2 + H2O

4.Al + Cu2+ —> Al3+ + Cu