LECTURE 5 cont.

GENERAL CHEMISTRY

CHEMICAL REACTIONS: Reduction-Oxidation Reaction

Scope of the Study

5.1 Redox Reaction 5.2 Oxidation Number of Atoms 5.3 Reducing and Oxidizing agent in a Redox Reaction 5.4 Activity series of metals

Figure 5.1 The redox process in compound formation.

*key chemical event is the net movement of electrons from one reactant to another

Redox Terminology
Oxidation is the loss of electrons (increased in the oxidation state)

Reduction is the gain of electrons (decreased in the oxidation state)

Consider:

Mg + O2

MgO Mg2+ + 2e-

Oxidation (electron loss of Mg): Mg

Reduction (electron gain by O2):

O2 + 2e-

O2-

O2 oxidizes Mg, O2 is the Oxidizing agent Mg reduces O2, Mg is the Reducing agent

LEORA GEROA

Reaction of Sodium and Chlorine

Oxidation number (O.N) or oxidation state is the charge of an atom in a molecule when electrons are transferred completely.

General Rules for Assigning Oxidation States

1. Oxidation state of an atom in an element = 0 2. Oxidation state of monatomic ion = charge of the ion 3. Oxygen = 2 in covalent compounds (except in peroxides where it = 1) 4. Hydrogen = +1 in covalent compounds 5. Fluorine = 1 in compounds 6. Sum of oxidation states = 0 in compounds 7. Sum of oxidation states = charge of the ion in ions

Exercise No. 1

Determining the Oxidation Number of an Element

1. Determine the oxidation number (O.N.) of each element in these compounds: (a) Zinc chloride (b) Sulfur trioxide
SOLUTION:

(c) Nitrate ion (d) Hydrogen phosphate ion

(a) ZnCl2

The O.N. for zinc is +2 and that for chloride is -1.

(b) SO3
(c) NO3-

Oxygen has an O.N. of -2 S + 3(-2) = 0; Therefore, S = +6

Oxygen has an O.N of -2 N + 3(-2) = -1; Therefore, N =+5

(d) HPO42- Oxygen has an O.N of -2. Hydrogen has an O.N of +1 1 + P + 4(-2) = -2; Therefore, P =+5

Exercise No. 2

Determining the Oxidation Number of an Element

2. Find the oxidation states for each of the elements in each of the following compounds: K2Cr2O7 K = +1; Cr = +6; O = 2 CO32C = +4; O = 2 MnO2 Mn = +4; O = 2 PCl5 P = +5; Cl = 1 S = +4; F = 1 SF4

Figure 5.2

A summary of terminology for oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions.

LEORA
GEROA

Exercise No. 3

Recognizing Oxidizing and Reducing Agents

3. Which of the following are oxidation-reduction reactions? Identify the oxidizing agent and the reducing agent. Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g) Cr2O72-(aq) + 2OH-(aq) 2CrO42-(aq) + H2O(l) 2CuCl(aq) CuCl2(aq) + Cu(s)

Determining Oxidizing and Reducing Agent

1. Identify the oxidation states of each atom in the equation. Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g)

Zn(s) + 2H+ (aq) + 2Cl-(aq) Zn2+(aq) + 2Cl(aq) + H2(g)

+1

+2

Determining Oxidizing and Reducing Agent

2. Which gained or lose electrons?
H+ gained e

Zn(s) + 2H+ (aq) + 2Cl-(aq) Zn2+(aq) + 2Cl(aq) + H2(g)

+1
Zn lost e-

+2

The oxidation state of chlorine remains unchanged.

Determining Oxidizing and Reducing Agent

2. Which gained or lose electrons?
gained of e- : reduction

Zn(s) + 2H+ (aq) + 2Cl-(aq) Zn2+(aq) + 2Cl(aq) + H2(g)

+1

+2

lost of e- : oxidation

Determining Oxidizing and Reducing Agent

3. Identify OA and RA
gained of e- : reduction

Zn(s) + 2H+ (aq) + 2Cl-(aq) Zn2+(aq) + 2Cl(aq) + H2(g)

+1

+2

lost of e- : oxidation

Zn is the reducing agent HCl is the oxdizing agent

LEORA

GEROA

Exercise No. 3

Recognizing Oxidizing and Reducing Agents

3. Which of the following are oxidation-reduction reactions? Identify the oxidizing agent and the reducing agent. Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g) Cr2O72-(aq) + 2OH-(aq) 2CrO42-(aq) + H2O(l) 2CuCl(aq) CuCl2(aq) + Cu(s)

Disproportionation reaction
The same substance is both oxidized and reduced.
Examples:

2CuCl(aq) CuCl2(aq) + Cu(s) 2H2O2(l) 2H2O(l) + O2(g)

Exercise No. 4

Recognizing Oxidizing and Reducing Agents

4. Identify the oxidizing agent and reducing agent in each of the following: (a) 2Al(s) + 3H2SO4(aq) (b) PbO(s) + CO(g) Al2(SO4)3(aq) + 3H2(g) Pb(s) + CO2(g)

(c) 2H2(g) + O2(g)

2H2O(g)

Assign an O.N. for each atom and see which atom gained and which atom lost electrons in going from reactants to products. An increase in O.N. means the species was oxidized (and is the reducing agent) and a decrease in O.N. means the species was reduced (is the oxidizing agent). SOLUTION:

+1 +6 -2

+3 +6 -2

(a) 2Al(s) + 3H2SO4(aq)

Al2(SO4)3(aq) + 3H2(g)

The O.N. of Al increases; Al is oxidized; it is the reducing agent. The O.N. of H decreases; H is reduced; H2SO4 is the oxidizing agent.

Exercise No. 4

Recognizing Oxidizing and Reducing Agents

continued

+2 -2

+2 -2

+4 -2

(b) PbO(s) + CO(g)

Pb(s) + CO2(g)

The O.N. of C increases; C is oxidized; CO is the reducing agent. The O.N. of Pb decreases; Pb is reduced; PbO is the oxidizing agent. 0 0 +1 -2 2H2O(g)

(c) 2H2(g) + O2(g)

The O.N. of H increases; it is oxidized; H2 is the reducing agent. The O.N. of O decreases; it is reduced; O2 is the oxidizing agent.

Displacing One Element by Another: Activity Series

The activity series of metals

-elements are rank in order of their ability to displace one another.

Figure 5.4 An active metal displacing hydrogen from water.

The activity series of the metals. (a) 2Al(s) + 6H2O(g) (b) Ni(s) + 2H+ (g) 2Al(OH)3(s) + 3H2(g) Ni+ (g) + H2(g)

Figure 5.5

Displacing one metal by another.

The TOP METAL will reduce the CATION of the METAL BELOW!

Ba(s) + Ca2+(aq) Ca(s) + Ba2+(aq)

Mg(s) + Zn2+(aq) Zn(s) + Mg2+(aq)

How about: No reaction Al(s) + Na+(aq) ? Sr(s) + Al3+(aq) ? Al(s) + Sr2+(aq)

Additional Exercises

Identifying the Type of Redox Reaction

PROBLEM:

Classify each of the following redox reactions as a combination, decomposition, or displacement reaction, write a balanced molecular equation for each, as well as total and net ionic equations for part (c), and identify the oxidizing and reducing agents: magnesium nitride (aq) water(l) + oxygen gas aluminum nitrate(aq) + lead(s)

(a) Magnesium(s) + nitrogen(g) (b) Hydrogen peroxide(l)

(c) Aluminum(s) + lead(II) nitrate(aq)

Additional Exercises

Identifying the Type of Redox Reaction

(a) Magnesium(s) + nitrogen(g)

magnesium nitride (aq)

+2 -3
Mg3N2(aq)

3 Mg(s) + N2(g)
(a) Combination

Mg is the reducing agent; N2 is the oxidizing agent. (b) Hydrogen peroxide(l) water(l) + oxygen gas

+1 -1 H2O2(l) 2H2O2(l)
(b) Decomposition

+1 -2

H2O(l) + 1 O2(g) or 2 2H2O(l) + O2(g)

H2O2 is the oxidizing and reducing agent.

Additional Exercises

Identifying the Type of Redox Reaction

(c) Aluminum(s) + lead(II) nitrate(aq)

aluminum nitrate(aq) + lead(s)

+2 +5 -2

+3 +5 -2

Al(s) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) 2Al(s) + 3Pb(NO3)2(aq)

(c) Displacement

Al(NO3)3(aq) + Pb(s) 2Al(NO3)3(aq) + 3Pb(s)

Pb(NO3)2 is the oxidizing agent; Al is the reducing agent.