Oxidation-

Reduction
Reactions or
Redox Reactions.
Subject: Chemistry
Tr: Mr. Azain Cardenas
Class: 4 S
 Oxidation and Reduction-Intro
• Antoine Lavoisier (1743-94) discovered that when metals are burnt,
they combine with oxygen to from oxides.
• Oxidation is any reaction in which a reactant gains oxygen.
• E.g
 Oxidation and Reduction-Intro
• Reduction is any reaction in which a reactant loses oxygen.
• E.g
 Redox reactions in our everyday life
Action of bleaches
• Bleach is added to clothes to remove
colored stains.
• Common bleaches include Chlorine
bleaches(NaClO) & Oxygen Bleaches (H2O2)
• Both bleaches remove stains by oxidizing
the colored chemicals, or dyes in the stain
to colorless form.
• ClO-(aq) + Coloured dye  Cl-(aq) + colorless
dye
 Redox reactions in our everyday life
Rusting
• When iron and its alloy, steel come into contact with oxygen and
moisture, the iron is oxidized by the oxygen to form hydrated iron(III)
oxide (rust).
 Redox reactions in our everyday life
Browning of cut fruits and vegetables
• When apples, bananas and potatoes,
are peeled or cut, the cut surface
becomes exposed to oxygen in the air.
• Enzymes in plant cells on the surface of
the fruit or vegetable begin to oxidize
certain chemicals in the cells to brown
compounds (melanin).
 Redox reactions in our everyday life
Food Preservation
• Common food preservatives include (sodium sulfite &
sulfur dioxide).
• Enhance flavor, preserve freshness and reduce or
prevent spoilage and discoloration of foods such as
wine, fruit juices, dried fruits, dried potatoes and shrimp.
• They prevent oxidation. They prevent bacteria oxidizing
wine to vinegar and prevent vitamin c in fruit juice being
oxidized.
• Prevent browning of dried fruits and dried potato
products and shrimp by reducing chemicals produced
during the browning process.
 Redox reactions in our everyday life
The breathalyzer test
• Is used to test the alcohol level in the breath
of drivers.
• The drivers blows into a sample of orange
potassium dichromate (VI) crystals
(K2Cr2O7)which have been acidified with
sulfuric acid.
• Any ethanol in the driver’s breath will reduce
the orange dichromate (VI) ion (Cr2O72-) to
green chromium (III) ion (Cr3+) turning the
crystals green.
What are ions?
 Oxidation-Reduction and Electrons
• In the 20th century chemist realized that oxidation
reaction involved the loss of electrons.
Oxidation is defined as the loss of electrons.
Reduction is defined as the gain of electrons.
Note: a substance will not lose electrons unless
there is another substance available to gain
electrons.
 Oxidation Half Equation
• Oxidation half equation are equations that only show the loss of electrons.
1. Burning magnesium in oxygen:
• 2Mg(s) + O2(g)  2MgO(s)
The (MgO) produced is an ionic compound that consists of Mg2+ ions and O2-
ions.
Each magnesium atom lost two electrons to form magnesium ion.
Magnesium (Mg) was oxidized.
Mg  Mg2+ + 2e-
The overall oxidation half equation is:
2Mg  2Mg2+ + 4e-
 Reduction Half Equation
• Reduction half equation are equations that only shows the gain of
electrons.
1.Burning magnesium in oxygen:
• 2Mg(s) + O2(g)  2MgO(s)
• Each oxygen atom gained two electrons to form an oxide ion. Oxygen
(O2) was reduced.
• The overall reduction half equation is:
• O2(g) + 4e-  2O2-(s)
 Practice work
• Write the redox half equations for the following redox reactions:
1. Adding Zinc to copper (II) sulfate solution.
Zn(s) + CuSO4(aq)  ZnSO4(aq) + Cu(s)

2. Bubbling chlorine gas through potassium bromide solution:

Cl2(g) + 2KBr(aq)  2KCl(aq) + Br2(aq)

3. The reaction between sodium and chlorine.

2Na(s) + Cl2(g)  2NaCl(s)
 Assignment
1.State whether each of the following half equations show oxidation or reduction:
a. Fe3+(aq) + 3e-  Fe(s)

b. Fe2+ (aq)  Fe3+ (aq) + e-

c. Br2 (aq) + 2e-  2Br- (aq)

d. Cu2+(aq) + 2e-  Cu(s)

2.In the following redox reaction, state what has been oxidized and what has been reduced.

Br2 (aq) + 2KI (aq)  2KBr (aq) + I2(aq)

 Oxidation Number
• Oxidation number basically indicates the number of electrons lost, gained
or shared as a result of chemical bonding.
• Oxidation numbers can be positive, negative or zero.
• When writing the oxidation number of an element, unless the number is
zero, a plus or minus sign is placed before the number to indicate positive
and negative. E.g +1, +2
• There is always a number after the sign, i.e. the number 1 is always written.
• Oxidation number play in important role in the naming of certain
compounds.
 Rules for Determining Oxidation Numbers
• The oxidation number of each atom of an element in its free state is
ZERO. E.g. Al= 0, N2=0
• The oxidation number of each simple ion in an ionic compound is
equal to the charge on the ion. E.g. Al3+ ion = +3, O2- Ion= -2
• The oxidation number of hydrogen when present in a compound is
always +1 except when bonded to a metal in a metal hydride where
its oxidation number is -1. e.g sodium hydride(NaH) and Calcium
hydride(CaH2)
• The oxidation number of oxygen when present in a compound is
always -2 except in peroxides where it is -1. e.g Hydrogen
Peroxide(H2O2)
 Rules for Determining Oxidation Numbers
• The sum of the oxidation numbers of all elements present in a compound is
ZERO.
E.g. H2O = 2(oxidation # of H) + (oxidation # of O) = 0
2(+1) + (-2) =0
+2 + -2 =0

• The sum of the oxidation number of all elements present in a polyatomic ion is
equal to the charge on the ion.
E.g OH- ion, = (oxidation # of O) + (oxidation # of H)= -1
(-2) + (+1) = -1
 Practice
• Determine the oxidation number of sulfur in sulfur dioxide (SO2).
• Determine the oxidation number of nitrogen in the nitrate ion (NO3-)
• Determine the oxidation of carbon in methane(CH4)
• Determine the oxidation number of manganese in Manganate (VII)
(MnO4-)
• Determine the oxidation number of chromium in potassium
dichromate (VI) (K2CrO7)
• Determine the oxidation number of sulfur in the sulfite ion (SO32-)
Recognizing redox reactions using oxidation
numbers.
 Rules for recognizing Redox reactions.
1. Write the balance chemical equation for the reaction.
2. Write the oxidation number of each element in brackets below it. You DO
NOT need to determine the oxidation numbers of elements in polyatomic
ions which remain unchanged during a reaction.
3. Determine which element shows in increase in its oxidation number. This is
the element which has been Oxidized.
4. Determine which element shows a decrease in its oxidation number. This is
the element which has been Reduced.
5. If there is no increase in oxidation number of one element and a decrease in
oxidation number of another element, then the reaction is not a redox
reaction.
 Examples
• 2H2(g) + O2(g)  2H2O(l)
O.N. (0) (0) (+1) (-2)
Practice Work:
1. CuO(s) + H2(g)  Cu(s) + H2O(g)
2. CH4(g) + 2O2(g)  CO2(g) + 2H2O(g)
3. 2AgNO3(aq) + MgCl2(aq)  2AgCl(s) + Mg(NO3)2(aq)
4. Mg(s) + ZnSO4(aq)  MgSO4(aq) + Zn(s)
 Oxidizing and Reducing agents
• Oxidizing Agent causes a reactant to lose electrons.
• Reducing Agent causes a reactant to gain electrons.
• A + BC+D
Oxidized Reduced

In the reaction above:

A must have been oxidized by B. B is the oxidizing agent.
B must have been reduced by A. A is the reducing agent.
 Oxidizing and reducing agent in terms of
electrons
• Aluminum reacting chlorine gas:
• 2Al(s) + 3Cl2(g)  2AlCl3(s)
Oxidation half equation
Al(s) +  2Al3+(s) + 6e-
• The chlorine atoms brought about the loss by taking these electrons. (Cl2) is the
Oxidizing Agent.
Reduction half equation
3Cl(g) + 6e-  6Cl-
• The aluminum atoms brought about this gain by donating these electrons. (Al)
is the Reducing Agent.
Oxidizing and Reducing agents in terms of
oxidation number.
• Oxidizing agent causes the oxidation number of an atom or ion in
another reactant to increase.
• Reducing Agent causes the oxidation number of an atom or ion
another reactant to decrease.
Example of magnesium burning in oxygen:
2Mg(s) + O2(g)  2MgO(s)