REDOX REACTIONS

Oxidation:

Addition of oxygen
Removal of hydrogen
Loss of electrons
Or a reaction in which oxidation number increases.

Reduction:

Addition of hydrogen
Removal of oxygen
Gain of electrons
Or a reaction in which oxidation number decreases.

Redox reaction:

A reaction in which both oxidation and reduction occurs at the same time.

Example
Oxidizing agent (oxidant):

A substance which helps in oxidation and itself undergoing reduction (a

substance that gains electrons)

Reducing agent (reductant):

A substance which helps in reduction and itself undergoing oxidation (a

substance that loses electrons)

Oxidation number:

Number of electrons lost, gained or shared by bonded atom.

If electrons are lost → oxidation number increases
If electrons are gained → oxidation number decreases
In ionic bonds, the charge of the ion is the oxidation number.
In covalent compounds: the more electronegative ion has a negative
oxidation number and the other atom has a positive oxidation
number.
Rules for assigning oxidation number

Oxidation number of any uncombined element is zero.

Example: oxidation number of H in H2 = O, C = O, Na = O

Oxidation number of the ion is equal to its charge

Example: oxidation number of Na+ = +1, Cl- = -1

The sum of oxidation number of all atoms of a molecule is zero.

The sum of oxidation number of all atoms in a polyatomic ion is equal

to its charge.

Oxidation number of fluorine in any compound is always (-1)

Oxidation number of oxygen in any compound is (-2), except in

peroxide ( in peroxide oxidation no of O is -1) and in oxyfluorides.
( in oxiflouride , the oxidation number of oxygen is positive.)

Oxidation number of hydrogen in any compound is (+1) except in

metal hydrides ( where the oxidation number of H is -1)

Oxidation number of chlorine always (-1), except in compounds with

fluorine and oxygen where it is positive.

Group I metals (+1), group II metals (+2) and group III (+3)

All metals have positive oxidation number, transition metals can have
more than one oxidation number.

Assign oxidation number of the underlined elements in the following

NH3 N = -3 K2Cr2O7 Cr = +6
Cu2O Cu = -1 (CrO4)-2 Cr = +6

KMnO4 Mn = 7 SO3 S = +6

CuO Cu = +2 (NH4)+ N = -3

Cr2O3 Cr = +2 H2O2 O = -1

OF2 O = +2 MnO4- Mn = +7

MnO2 Mn = +4 (SO4)2- S = +6

Na Na = +1 PCl5 P = +5

O2− O= -2

Redox reaction:

Examples of redox reactions

Metal with oxygen

reduction

4Na + O2 2Na2O

oxidation

Oxidation half equation:

4Na → 4Na+ + 4e- or 4Na - 4e- → 4Na+

Reduction half equation:

O2 + 4e- → 2O2-
 Full ionic equation is obtained by adding the oxidation half
equation and the reduction half equations

Number of electrons gained and lost in both equations should

be the same .

4Na + O2 → 4Na+ + 2O2-

Reaction of metals with water

reduction

2Na + 2H2O 2NaOH + H2

oxidation

Oxidation half equation:

2Na → 2Na+ + 2e-

Reduction half equation:

2H+ + 2e- → H2

Net ionic equation:

2Na + 2H+ → 2Na+ + H2

Reaction of metals with acid

reduction

2Na + 2HCl 2NaCl + H2

oxidation
Oxidation half equation:
2Na → 2Na+ + 2e-

Reduction half equation:

2H+ + 2e- → H2

Net ionic equation

2Na + 2H+ → H2 + 2Na+

Displacement reaction
reduction

CuSO4 + Fe FeSO4 + Cu
Oxidation

Oxidation half equation:

Fe → Fe2+ + 2e-

Reduction half equation:

Cu2+ + 2e- → Cu

The spectator ion is not included in net ionic equation since its
oxidation number doesn’t change.

Redox reaction involves a shift of electron density

Disproportionation reaction

It is a reaction is which a species is both oxidized and reduced in the

same reaction.

Example:
reduction

Cu2O + H2SO4 CuSO4+ Cu + H2O

Oxidation

Cu2O disproportionate

reduction

Cl2 + H2O HCl + HClO

Oxidation

Cl2 disproportionate
 Using oxidation number in naming compounds

IUPAC (systematic) system uses oxidation number for naming

compounds an element with more than one oxidation number.

Example IUPAC Traditional

PCl3 Phosphorous (III) Phosphorous trichloride
chloride
PCl5 Phosphorous (V) chloride Phosphorous
pentachloride

O2F2 Oxygen (I) fluoride Dioxygen difluoride

OF2 Oxygen (II) fluoride Oxygen difluoride

S2Cl2 Sulphur (I) chloride Disulphur dichloride

More complex compounds

KMnO4 Potassium manganite VII

K2CrO4 Potassium chromate VI

H2SO4 Sulphuric VI acid

H2SO3 Sulphuric IV acid

SO32- Sulphate IV

SO4-2 Sulphate VI
Common oxidizing agents:

Oxygen
O2 + 2e- → O2-

Chlorine
Cl2 + 2e- → 2Cl-

Iodine
I2 + 2e- → 2I-

Br2 + 2e- → 2Br-

Manganate VII in acidic solution (MnO4-)

MnO4-+ 8H= + 5e- → Mn2+ + 4H2O

Dichromate VI in acidic solution (Cr2O72-)

Cr2O72- + 14H+ + 6e- → 2Cr3+ + 7H2O

Hydrogen ion
2H+ + 2e- → H2

Iron III salt ( Fe3+)

Fe3+ + e- → Fe2+

Concentrated H2SO4
 2H2SO4 + 2e- → SO42- + SO2 + 2H2O

(H2O2) hydrogen peroxide in absence of another oxidizing agent

H2O2 + 2H+ + 2e- → 2H2O

Common reducing agents:

M → Mn+ + ne- (metals)

Acidified potassium iodide (KI)

2I- → I2 + 2e-

Thiosulphate (S2O32-)
2S2O32- → S4O62- + 2e-

Hydrogen
H2 → 2H+ + 2e-

Ethane doic acid (C2O42-) ethane dioate ion

C2O42- → 2CO2 + 2e-

H2O2in presence of acid and absence of strong oxidizing agent

H2O2 → O2 + 2H+ + 2e-

Iron(II) Fe2+
Fe2+ → Fe3+ + e-
Balancing redox equations by ion-electron method
Example 1

Example 2

Multiply the first equation by 2 to balance the number of electrons. Then

add them together.

Balancing equations in acidic medium
Oxygen is balanced by adding water molecules to the other side.

Hydrogen is balanced by adding H+ ion to the other side (only in acid

medium)

Charge is balanced by adding electrons

Examples:

1) Conversion of iron II sulphate to iron III sulphate by using acidified

potassium dichromate.

Oxidation half equation Fe2+ → Fe3+ + e- ---------(1)

Reduction half equation 14H+ + 6e- + Cr2O72- → 2Cr3+ + 7H2O ----(2)

Equation (1) x 6 --------- 6Fe2+ → 6Fe3+ + 6e- -------(3)

(2) + (3) 14H+ + Cr2O72- + 6Fe2+ → 2Cr3+ + 7H2O + 6Fe3+ -------(4)

2) Conversion of iron(II) sulphate to iron (III) sulphate using acidified

potassium per manganite

Fe2+ → Fe3+ + e-
 5e- + 8H+ + MnO4 → Mn2+ + 4H2O

5Fe2+ → 5Fe3+ + 5e-

Net ionic 8H+ + MnO4- + 5Fe2+ → Mn2+ + 4H2O + 5Fe3+

Molecular equation:

10FeSO4 + 2KMnO4 + 8H2SO4 → 5Fe2(SO4)2 + K2SO4 + 8H2O + 2MnSO4

Spectator ions: K+, SO42-

Q) Write the ionic equation for the reaction of thiosulphate and iodine.
Ans) Oxidation half equation:
2S2O32- → S4O62- + 2e-
Reduction half equation:
I2 + 2e- → 2I-
Net ionic equation:
2S2O32- + I2 → S4O62- + 2I-