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Redox (/ ˈ r ɛ d ɒ k s / RED-oks, / ˈ r iː d ɒ k s / REE-doks, reduction–oxidation [2] or oxidation–reduction [3]: 150 ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. [4] Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a ...
Oxidation states are typically represented by integers which may be positive, zero, or negative. In some cases, the average oxidation state of an element is a fraction, such as 8 / 3 for iron in magnetite Fe 3 O 4 . The highest known oxidation state is reported to be +9, displayed by iridium in the tetroxoiridium(IX) cation (IrO + 4). [1]
For oxidation-reduction reactions in acidic conditions, after balancing the atoms and oxidation numbers, one will need to add H + ions to balance the hydrogen ions in the half reaction. For oxidation-reduction reactions in basic conditions, after balancing the atoms and oxidation numbers, first treat it as an acidic solution and then add OH − ...
In aqueous solutions, redox potential is a measure of the tendency of the solution to either gain or lose electrons in a reaction. A solution with a higher (more positive) reduction potential than some other molecule will have a tendency to gain electrons from this molecule (i.e. to be reduced by oxidizing this other molecule) and a solution with a lower (more negative) reduction potential ...
Oxidation and reduction describe the change of oxidation state that takes place in the atoms, ions or molecules involved in an electrochemical reaction. Formally, oxidation state is the hypothetical charge that an atom would have if all bonds to atoms of different elements were 100% ionic. An atom or ion that gives up an electron to another ...
2H 2 O → O 2 + 4H + + 4e − Oxidation (generation of dioxygen) 4H + + 4e − → 2H 2 Reduction (generation of dihydrogen) 2H 2 O → 2H 2 + O 2 Total Reaction Of the two half reactions, the oxidation step is the most demanding because it requires the coupling of 4 electron and proton transfers and the formation of an oxygen-oxygen bond.
An electrode in which oxidation takes place is called an anode while in that which reduction takes place is called cathode. This applies for both electrolytic and electrochemical cells, though the charge on them reverses. The red cat and an ox mnemonics are useful to remember the same. Red cat: Reduction at cathode; An ox: Anode for oxidation. [32]
An agent's oxidation state describes its degree of loss of electrons, where the higher the oxidation state then the fewer electrons it has. So initially, prior to the reaction, a reducing agent is typically in one of its lower possible oxidation states; its oxidation state increases during the reaction while that of the oxidizer decreases.