Chapter 7

7.1 What is a redox reaction?

1. Oxidation
 gain of oxygen
 lose electron
 increase in oxidation number of a substance
 oxygen atoms added to a molecule
 hydrogen atoms removed from a molecule
2. For example,
 when magnesium reacts with oxygen, the magnesium combines with oxygen to form
magnesium oxide.
 Magnesium has been oxidised.
 2Mg(s) + O2(g) →2MgO(s)
3. Reduction
 loss of oxygen
 gain electron
 decrease in oxidation number of a substance
 oxygen atoms removed a molecule
 hydrogen atoms added to a molecule
4. For example,
 When copper(II) oxide reacts with hydrogen
 Copper(II) oxide loses its oxygen.
 Copper(II) oxide has been reduced.
 CuO(s) + H2(g) →Cu(s) + H2O(l)
5. Redox reactions - Oxidation and reduction take place together.
6. Redox reactions are very important.
 photosynthesis – provides food for the entire planet.
 respiration – keeps you alive.
7. Ways of finding out whether or not a substance has been oxidised or reduced during a chemical
reaction:
 electron transfer
 changes in oxidation number
7.2 Redox and electron transfer
Half-equations
1. Sodium reacts with chlorine to form the ionic compound sodium chloride.

The sodium atoms have been oxidised.

The chlorine atoms have been reduced.

2. Iron reacts with copper(II) ions, Cu 2+, in solution to form iron(II) ions, Fe2+, and copper.
The iron atoms have been oxidised.

Copper ions have been reduced.

Balancing half-equations
1. The numbers of electrons lost and gained in a redox reaction must be equal.

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7.3

Oxidation numbers
What are oxidation numbers?
1. Oxidation numbers (oxidation states) - A number given to each atom or ion in a compound that
shows its degree of oxidation.
2. Oxidation numbers can be positive, negative or zero.
3. Higher positive oxidation numbers - an atom or ion is more oxidised.
4. Higher negative oxidation numbers - an atom or ion is more reduced.
Oxidation number rules
1. The oxidation number of any uncombine element is zero.
 For example, the oxidation number of each atom in S8, Cl2 and Zn is zero.
2. In compounds many atoms or ions have fixed oxidation numbers
 Group 1 elements are always +1
 Group 2 elements are always +2

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 Fluorine is always –1
 Hydrogen is +1 (except in metal hydrides such as NaH, where it is –1)
 Oxygen is –2 (except in peroxides, where it is –1, and in F2O, where it is +2).
3. The oxidation number of an element in a monatomic ion is always the same as the charge.
 For example, Cl– is –1, Al3+ is +3.
4. The sum of the oxidation numbers in a compound is zero.
5. The sum of the oxidation numbers in an ion is equal to the charge on the ion.
6. In either a compound or an ion, the more electronegative element is given the negative
oxidation number.
Applying the oxidation number rules
Compounds of a metal with a non-metal
1. The metal always has the positive oxidation number
2. The non-metal has the negative oxidation number.
3. For example,
sodium oxide, Na2O, Na = +1 and O = –2.
Compounds of a non-metal with a non-metal
1. In compounds containing two different non-metals, the sign of the oxidation number depends on
the electronegativity of each atom.
2. The most electronegative element is given the negative sign (rule 6).
3. For examples,
 Sulfur dioxide, SO2
 Oxidation number of each O atom = –2
 for two oxygen atoms = 2 × (–2) = –4
 SO2 has no charge, so the total oxidation number is zero (rule 4)
 Oxidation number of S = +4
 Iodine trichloride, ICl3
 chlorine is more electronegative than iodine, so chlorine is – and iodine is +
 oxidation number of each Cl atom = –1
 for three chlorine atoms = 3 × (–1) = –3
 ICl3 has no charge, so the total oxidation number is zero (rule 4)
 Oxidation number of I = +3
 Hydrazine, N2H4
 nitrogen is more electronegative than hydrogen
 nitrogen is – and hydrogen is +
 oxidation number of each H atom = +1 (rule 2)
 for four hydrogen atoms = 4 × (+1) = +4
 N2H4 has no charge, so the total oxidation number is zero (rule 4)
 Oxidation number of two N atoms = –4
 Oxidation number of each N atom = –2
Compound ions
1. For examples,
 Nitrate ion, NO3-
 Oxidation number of each O atom = – 2
 for three oxygen atoms = 3 × (– 2) = – 6
 NO3- has a charge of 1–, so the total oxidation number of N and O atoms is –1 (rule 5)
 Oxidation number of the nitrogen atom plus oxidation number of the three oxygen atoms
(–6) = –1
 Oxidation number of N = +5
7.4 Redox and oxidation number
1. Oxidation is an increase of oxidation number.
2. Reduction is a decrease in oxidation number.
3. For example,

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 When tin reacts with nitric acid, the oxidation numbers of each atom of tin and nitrogen
change as shown below.

 Tin atom
(Sn) has
increased in oxidation number by +4: tin has been oxidised.
 Nitrogen atom has decreased in oxidation number by –1: nitrogen has been reduced.
 The oxidation number of each oxygen atom is unchanged at –2.
 The oxidation number of each hydrogen atom is unchanged at +1.
 Oxygen and hydrogen are neither oxidised nor reduced.
4. In this reaction nitric acid is acting as an oxidising agent:
 oxidising agents increase the oxidation number of another atom
 an atom in the oxidising agent decreases in oxidation number
 the oxidising agent is the substance which gets reduced – it gains electrons.
5. In this reaction tin is acting as a reducing agent:
 reducing agents decrease the oxidation number of another atom
 an atom in the reducing agent increases in oxidation number
 the reducing agent is the substance that gets oxidised – it loses electrons.
7.5 Naming compounds
1. The numbers in brackets are the oxidation numbers of the iron.
 In iron(II) chloride, the oxidation number of the iron is +2. The compound contains Fe 2+ ions.
The formula is FeCl2.
 In iron(III) chloride, the oxidation number of the iron is +3. The compound contains Fe 3+ ions.
The formula is FeCl3.

Oxides of nitrogen
1. We distinguish between these according to the oxidation number of the nitrogen atom. (The
oxidation number of oxygen is generally –2.)
 The oxidation number of N in N2O is +1. So this compound is nitrogen(I) oxide.
 The oxidation number of N in NO is +2. So this compound is nitrogen(II) oxide.
 The oxidation number of N in NO2 is +4. So this compound is nitrogen(IV) oxide.
Nitrate ions
1. The oxidation number of sodium is +1 and the oxidation number of oxygen is –2.
So it is the oxidation number of nitrogen that varies.
 The oxidation number of N in the NO2– ion is +3. So NaNO2 is sodium nitrate(III).
 The oxidation number of N in the NO3– ion is +5. So NaNO3 is sodium nitrate(V).

2. The names of
inorganic acids containing oxygen end in –ic.

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 H3PO3 is phosphoric(III) acid because the oxidation number of phosphorus is +3.
 HClO4 is chloric(VII) acid because the oxidation number of chlorine is +7.
7.6 From name to formula

7.7 Balancing chemical equations using oxidation numbers

1.

2.

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