Oxidation-Reduction by Mahima Waldia

PRESENTED BY – MAHIMA WALDIA
Oxidation-Reduction
Reactions
 The term oxidation was originally used to
describe reactions in which an element
combines with oxygen.
 Example: The reaction between magnesium
metal and oxygen to form magnesium oxide
involves the oxidation of magnesium.
 2 Mg(s) + O2(g)  2 MgO(s)
 The term reduction comes from the Latin stem
meaning "to lead back." Anything that that
leads back to magnesium metal therefore
involves reduction.
 The reaction between magnesium oxide and
carbon at 2000C to form magnesium metal
and carbon monoxide is an example of the
reduction of magnesium oxide to magnesium
metal.
 MgO(s) + C(s)  Mg(s) + CO(g)
The Role of Oxidation Numbers in
Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
 Chemists eventually extended the idea of
oxidation and reduction to reactions that do
not formally involve the transfer of electrons.
 CO(g) + H2O(g) CO2(g) + H2(g)
 What changes in this reaction is the oxidation
state of these atoms. The oxidation state of
carbon increases from +2 to +4, while the
oxidation state of the hydrogen decreases from
+1 to 0.
Rules for Assigning Oxidation Numbers
1. All free, uncombined elements have an oxidation

number of zero. This includes diatomic elements
such as O2 or others like P4 and S8.
2. Hydrogen, in all its compounds except hydrides,
has an oxidation number of +1 (positive one)
3. Oxygen, in all its compounds except peroxides,
has an oxidation number of -2 (negative two).
What is a Half-Reaction?
 A half-reaction is simply one which shows

either reduction OR oxidation, but not both.
Here is an example redox reaction:
 Ag+ + Cu  Ag + Cu2+
 It has BOTH a reduction and an oxidation in it.
That is why we call it a redox reaction, from
reduction and oxidation.
• What you must be able to do is look at a redox
reaction and separate out the two half-reactions
in it. To do that, identify the atoms which get
reduced and get oxidized. Here are the two half-
reactions from the example:
Ag+ ---> Ag
Cu ---> Cu2+
• The silver is being reduced, its oxidation number
going from +1 to zero. The copper's oxidation
number went from zero to +2, so it was oxidized
in the reaction. In order to figure out the half-
reactions, you MUST be able to calculate the
oxidation number of an atom.
• When you look at the two half-reactions, you will
see they are already balanced for atoms with
one Ag on each side and one Cu on each side. So,
all we need to do is balance the charge.
• To do this you add electrons to the more positive
side. You add enough to make the total charge
on each side become EQUAL.
• To the silver half-reaction, we add one electron:
Ag+ + e¯  Ag
• To the copper half-reaction, we add two
electrons:
Cu  Cu2+ + 2e¯
Balancing Half-Reactions in Acid
Solution
 MnO4¯  Mn2+ in an acid solution
 Before looking at the balancing technique, the
fact that it is in acid solution can be signaled to
you in several different ways:
1) It is explicitly said in the problem.
2) An acid (usually a strong acid) is included
as one of the reactants.
3) An H+ is written just above the reaction
arrow.
1. Balance the atom being reduced/oxidized. In
our example, there is already one Mn on each
side of the arrow, so this step is already done.
MnO4¯  Mn2+
• Balance the oxygens. Do this by adding water
molecules (as many as are needed) to the side
needing oxygen. In our case, the left side has 4
oxygens, while the right side has none, so:
MnO4¯  Mn2+ + 4H2O
 Balance the hydrogens. Do this by adding
hydrogen ions (as many as are needed) to the
side needing hydrogen. In our example, we need
8 (notice the water molecule's formula, then
consider 4 x 2 = 8).
8H+ + MnO4¯  Mn2+ + 4H2O
 Balance the total charge. This will be done
using electrons. It is ALWAYS the last step.
5e¯ + 8H+ + MnO4¯  Mn2+ + 4H2O
Here is a second half-reaction,
also in acid solution:
Cr2O72¯  Cr3+
1. Balance the atom being reduced/oxidized.
Cr2O72¯  2Cr3+
2. Balance the oxygens.
Cr2O72¯  2Cr3+ + 7H2O
3. Balance the hydrogens.
14H+ + Cr2O72¯  2Cr3+ + 7H2O
4. Balance the total charge.
6e¯ + 14H+ + Cr2O72¯  2Cr3+ + 7H2O
Another example (in acid solution)
SO2 ---> SO42¯
1. SO2  SO42¯ (the sulfur is already balanced)
2. 2H2O + SO2  SO42¯ (now there are 4 oxygens on
each side)
3. 2H2O + SO2  SO42¯ + 4H+ (2 x 2 from the water
makes 4 hydrogens)
4. 2H2O + SO2  SO42¯ + 4H+ + 2e¯ (zero charge on
the left; +4 from the hydrogens and -2 from the
sulfate, so 2 electrons gives the -2 charge
required to make zero on the right)
Balancing Half-Reactions in Basic
Solution
 Before looking at the balancing technique,
the fact that it is in basic solution can be
signaled to you in several different ways:
 It is explicitly said in the problem.
 A base (usually a strong base) is included as
one of the reactants.
 An OH¯ is written just above the reaction
arrow.
There are three other chemical species
available in a basic solution besides the
ones shown above. They are:
• H2 O
• OH¯
• e¯
• water is present because the reaction is taking
place in solution
• the hydroxide ion is available because it is in basic
solution
• electrons are available because that's what is
transferred in redox reactions.
• All three will be used in getting the final answer.
PbO2  PbO
It is to be balanced in basic
solution.
• Step One to Four: Balance the half-reaction
AS IF it were in acid solution.
1. Balance the atom being reduced/oxidized.
2. Balance the oxygens (using H2O).
3. Balance the hydrogens (using H+).
4. Balance the charge. When you do that to the
above half-reaction, you get:
2e¯ + 2H+ + PbO2  PbO + H2O
 Step Five: Convert all H+ to H2O.
 Do this by adding OH¯ ions to both sides.
 The side with the H+ will determine how many
hydroxide to add. In our case, the left side has
2 hydrogen ions, while the right side has
none, so:
2e¯ + 2H2O + PbO2  PbO + H2O + 2OH¯
 Notice that, when the two hydroxide ions on
the left were added, they immediately
reacted with the hydrogen ion present. The
reaction is:
H+ + OH¯  H2O
 Step Six: Remove any duplicate molecules or
ions.
 In our example, there are two water molecules
on the left and one on the right.
 This means one water molecule may be
removed from each side, giving:
2e¯ + H2O + PbO2  PbO + 2OH¯
 The half-reaction is now correctly balanced.
Here is a second half-reaction, also in
basic solution:
MnO4¯ ---> MnO2
• Step One: Balance the half-reaction AS IF it
were in acid solution.
• 3e¯ + 4H+ + MnO4¯ ---> MnO2 + 2H2O
• Step Two: Convert all H+ to H2O.
• 3e¯ + 4H2O + MnO4¯ ---> MnO2 + 2H2O + 4OH¯
• Step Three: Remove any duplicate molecules
or ions.
• 3e¯ + 2H2O + MnO4¯ ---> MnO2 + 4OH¯

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PRESENTED BY – MAHIMA WALDIA

1. All free, uncombined elements have an oxidation

 A half-reaction is simply one which shows

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