9.

12 Electrochemistry Half Reactions Intro

Introduction Questions
1. During oxidation, the oxidation number of a substance ___________ due to the
increases OR decreases
_________ of electrons.
loss OR gain

2. Let’s assume that substance X gets oxidized. Which equation do you think is the best
way to represent oxidation? [Note: “e-“ stands for an electron.] Highlight your answer.

A) X+2 + 2 e- 🡪 X OR B) X 🡪 X+2 + 2 e-
Notice that the charge Notice that the charge
on X goes from +2 to 0 on X goes from 0 to +2

3. Let’s assume that substance Y gets reduced. Which equation do you think is the best way
to represent reduction? Highlight your answer.

A) Y+3 + 3 e- 🡪 Y OR B) Y 🡪 Y+3 + 3 e-

4. In the previous two questions, we saw that X+2 had two electrons involved oxidation. Y+3
had three electrons involved in its reduction. Write the equation for the reduction of Z+1.

Information: Half Reactions

A reaction in which substances undergo oxidation and reduction are called “redox reactions.”
Sometimes the reactions are written with ions in them. Here’s a common redox reaction in
which one substance is oxidized and the other is reduced:

Zn (s) + Cu+2 (aq) 🡪 Zn+2 (aq) + Cu (s)

Zn Zn+2 Cu+2 🡪 Cu
We can take all of the zinc substances to We can take all of the copper substances
make a zinc “half reaction” to make a copper “half reaction”
Critical Thinking Questions
5. The above half reactions need some electrons added to one of the sides so that they will
look similar to questions 2 and 3.
a) Label each half reaction as “oxidation” or “reduction.” Also, follow the pattern of
questions 2 and 3 and add electrons to the correct side of each equation. Highlight
your electrons.

___________________: Zn (s) 🡪 Zn+2 (aq)

___________________: Cu+2 (aq) 🡪 Cu (s)

b) How many electrons did you add? Why did you choose this number?

6. Split the following reaction into two half reactions—an oxidation and a reduction half
reaction. Write each half reaction with the proper number of electrons in each.

a) Ag+ + Ni 🡪 Ag + Ni+2

Oxidation ½ reaction:

Reduction ½ reaction:

b) I2 + Sn 🡪 2 I- + Sn+2

Oxidation ½ reaction:

Reduction ½ reaction (done for you ☺): I2 + 2e- 🡪 2 I-

Question: Why are there 2 electrons instead of one?

c) Mn+2 + 2 Br- 🡪 Mn + Br2

Oxidation ½ reaction:
 Reduction ½ reaction:

7. True or False: A substance is reduced by gaining electrons. Highlight True or False.

Information: Reduction Potential

Potential: having the likelihood of occurring.

In electrochemistry there is a term, “reduction potential.” The reduction potential is a measure of

how likely a substance is to be reduced. Reduction potential is measured in volts (V) and is
given the symbol Eo. The more positive the reduction potential (Eo), the more likely a substance
is to be reduced.
Table 1: Some common reduction potential values:

Reduction Half Reaction Eo (in Volts)

- -
F2 + 2e 🡪 2F +2.87
Co3+ + e- 🡪 Co2+ +1.80
Cl2 + 2e- 🡪 2Cl- +1.36
O2 + 4H+ + 4e- 🡪 2H2O +1.23
Br2 + 2e- 🡪 2Br- +1.07
Hg2+ + 2e- 🡪 Hg +0.85
Ag+ + e- 🡪 Ag +0.80
Fe3+ + e- 🡪 Fe2+ +0.77
I2 + 2e- 🡪 2I- +0.54
Cu2+ + 2e- 🡪 Cu +0.34
Cu2+ + e- 🡪 Cu+ +0.15
Sn4+ + 2e- 🡪 Sn2+ +0.15
2H+ + 2e- 🡪 H2 0.00
Fe3+ + 3e- 🡪 Fe -0.04
Pb2+ + 2e- 🡪 Pb -0.13
Sn2+ + 2e- 🡪 Sn -0.14
Ni2+ + 2e- 🡪 Ni -0.25
Co2+ + 2e- 🡪 Co -0.29
Cr3+ + e- 🡪 Cr2+ -0.40
Cd2+ + 2e- 🡪 Cd -0.40
Fe2+ + 2e- 🡪 Fe -0.41
Cr3+ + 3e- 🡪 Cr -0.74
Zn2+ + 2e- 🡪 Zn -0.76
2H2O + 2e- 🡪 H2(g) + 2OH- -0.83
V2+ + 2e- 🡪 V -1.18
Mn2+ + 2e- 🡪 Mn -1.18
Al3+ + 3e- 🡪 Al -1.66
Mg2+ + 2e- 🡪 Mg -2.37

Critical Thinking Questions

8. True or False: Pb2+ is more likely to gain electrons than Br2. Highlight True or False.

9. Use the above table to rank the following in order from most likely to least likely to be
reduced: Ni2+, Cl2, Mn2+, Sn4+

10. If oxidation is the opposite of reduction, which do you think is most likely to be oxidized:
Cd2+ or Fe3+?

11. Which of the following is most likely to be the best reducing agent—Pb2+ or F2?

12. The Eo value for Cl2 + 2e- 🡪 2Cl- is +1.36 V. If we reverse the reaction so that Cl- is
being oxidized, the reaction looks like this: 2Cl- Cl2 + 2e- oxidation potential = ???
To find the oxidation potential for this new oxidation reaction, what should we do to the
+1.36 value? Highlight your answer.

A) Change the sign to make it negative B) divide it by two C) square it

Hint: What makes the most sense based on what we did for Hess’s Law?

13. Split the following reactions into half reactions.

a) Ag+ + Zn 🡪 Ag + Zn+2

Oxidation ½ reaction:

Reduction ½ reaction:

b) Br2 + Zn 🡪 2 Br- + Zn+2

Oxidation ½ reaction:

Reduction ½ reaction:

c) Cu+2 + 2 Cl- 🡪 Cu + Cl2

Oxidation ½ reaction:

Reduction ½ reaction:
 d) I2 + Fe 🡪 2 I- + Fe+2

Oxidation ½ reaction:

Reduction ½ reaction:

14. Which is the best reducing agent—Cu+2 or Fe+2? Explain.

15. Which of the following will be most easily reduced—Br2 or Cl2? Explain.