16.1 - Redox Reactions Flashcards

Redox Reactions Overview

• Redox reaction involves electron transfer from the reducing agent to the oxidizing agent.
• Oxidation and reduction are simultaneous processes occurring in redox reactions.

Key Definitions

• Oxidation: The process of losing electrons by a chemical species, such as metal atoms or non-metal ions.
• Reduction: The process of gaining electrons by a chemical species.

Reaction Characteristics

• Oxidation reactions often involve oxygen as a reactant, although not all redox reactions require oxygen.
• The half equation represents the loss or gain of electrons during redox processes, ensuring clarity in electron transfer.

Mineral Sources and Examples

• Iron is commonly found in ores such as haematite (Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4).
• Example of a redox equation without oxygen:
  2K (s) + Cl2 (g) ==> 2KCl (s)
  • Oxidation half equation: K (s) ==> K+ (s) + e-
  • Reduction half equation: Cl2 (g) + 2e- ==> 2Cl- (s)

Oxidising and Reducing Agents

• Oxidising Agent: A reactant that causes another to lose electrons and is itself reduced. Example: In the reaction of magnesium with oxygen, oxygen acts as the oxidising agent.
• Reducing Agent: A reactant that causes another to gain electrons and is itself oxidised. Example: In the same reaction, magnesium serves as the reducing agent.

Properties of Agents

• Reducing Agents: Typically metals that lose electrons, reduce oxidising agents, and undergo oxidation.
• Oxidising Agents: Typically non-metals that accept electrons, oxidise reducing agents, and undergo reduction.

Additional Concepts

• There is no overall loss of electrons; instead, they are transferred between atoms, reinforcing simultaneous oxidation and reduction.
• The overall equation of a redox reaction may not explicitly show the transferred electrons.
• Half equations may require multiplication to balance electrons, ensuring they cancel out in the overall equation.

Conjugate Redox Pairs

• A conjugate redox pair consists of an oxidising agent and its corresponding reduced agent, often denoted in the format oxidant/reductant. Example: Cu²⁺/Cu.