ARMY PUBLIC SCHOOL GOPALPUR

SESSION 2020-21
CLASS- XI (SCIENCE)
SUB-Chemistry
CHAPTER-REDOX REACTION
NOTES, ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS (2020)

 Oxidation

Oxidation is defined as the addition of oxygen/electronegative element to a

substance or rememoval of hydrogen/ electropositive element from a susbtance.
For example,

 Reduction
Reduction is defined as the memoval of oxygen/electronegative element from a
substance or addition of hydrogen or electropositive element to a substance.
For example,

 Oxidising agent
Oxidant or oxidising agent is a chemical substance which can accept one or more
electrons and causes oxidation of some other species. In other words, the oxidation
number of oxidant decreases in a redox reaction.

 Reducing agent
This is a chemical.substance which can give one or more electrons and causes
reduction of some other species. In other words, the oxidation number of reductant
increases in a redox reaction.
 oxidation and Reduction

 Redox Reaction in Terms of Electron Transfer Reaction

A few examples of redox reaction on the basis of electronic concept are given
below:
According to electronic concept every redox reaction consists of two steps known
as half reactions.
(i) Oxidation reaction: Half reactions that involve loss of electrons are called
oxidation reactions.
(ii) Reduction reaction: Half reactions that involve gain of electrons are called
reduction reactions.
Oxidising agent: Acceptor of electrons.
Reducing agent: Donar of electrons.

 Rules for Assigning Oxidation Numbers

(i) The oxidation number of an element in its elementary form is zero.
For example, H2, 02, N2 etc. have oxidation number equal to zero.
(ii) In a single monoatomic ion, the oxidation number is equal to the charge on
the ion. For example, Na+ ion has oxidation number of +1 and Mg2+ ion has +2.
(iii) Oxygen has oxidation number -2 in its compounds. However, there are
some exceptions.
Compounds such as peroxides. Na202, H202
oxidation number of oxygen = – 1 In OF2
O.N. of oxygen = +2 02F2
O.N. of oxygen = +1
(iv) In non-metallic compounds of hydrogen like HCl, H2S, H2O oxidation
number of hydrogen = + 1 but in metal hydrides oxidation number of hydrogen
= -1
[LiH, NaH, CaH2 etc.]
(v) In compounds of metals and non-metals metals have positive oxidation
number while non-metals have negative oxidation number. For example, In
NaCl. Na has +1 oxidation number while chlorine has -1.
(vi) If in a compound there are two non-metallic atoms the atoms with high
 electronegativity is assigned negative oxidation number while other atoms have
positive oxidation number.
(vii) The algebraic sum of the oxidation number of all atoms in a compound is
equal to zero.
(viii) In poly atomic ion the sum of the oxidation no. of all the atoms in the ion
is equal to the net charge on the ion.
For example, in (C03)2—Sum of carbon atoms and three oxygen atoms is equal
to -2.
 Balancing of redox reactions:
I. Oxidation Number Method:
Write the net ionic equation for the reaction of potassium dichromate(VI),
K2Cr2O7 with sodium sulphite,Na2SO3, in an acid solution to give chromium(III) ion
and the sulphate ion.

Step 1: The skeletal ionic equation is: Cr2O72–(aq) + SO32–(aq) → Cr3+(aq)+ SO42–(aq)

Step 2: Assign oxidation numbers forCr andS+6 –2 +4 –2 +3 +6 –2 Cr2O72–(aq) +

SO32–(aq) → Cr3+(aq)+ SO42–(aq)

Step 3: Calculate the increase anddecrease of oxidation number, and make them
equal:+6 –2 +4 –2 +3 +6 Cr2O72–(aq) + 3SO32–(aq) → 2Cr3+(aq)+ 3SO42–(aq)

Step 4: Balance the charge by adding H+as the reaction occurs in theacidic medium,
Cr2O72–(aq) + 3SO32-(aq) 8H+ → 2Cr3+(aq)+ 3SO42–(aq)

Step 5: Balance the oxygen atom by adding water molecule. Cr2O72–(aq) + 3SO32–(aq)
8H+→ 2Cr3+(aq)+ 3SO42–(aq)+ 4H2O(l)

II. Half Reaction Method

balance the equation showing the oxidation of Fe2.+ ions to Feb3+ ions by dichromate
ions (Cr2O72– in acidic medium,wherein, Cr2 O72– ions are reduced to Cr3+ ions.

Step 1: Produce unbalanced equation for thereaction in ionic form: Fe2+(aq) + Cr2O72–
(aq) → Fe3+ (aq) + Cr3+(aq)
 Step 2: Separate the equation into halfreactions: +2 +3 Oxidation half : Fe2+ (aq) →
Fe3+(aq) +6 –2 +3 Reduction half :Cr2O72–(aq) → Cr3+(aq)

Step 3: Balance the atoms other than O andH in each half reaction individually.
Cr2O72– (aq) → Cr3+(aq)

Step 4: For reactions occurring in acidicmedium, add H2O to balance O atoms and
H+to balance H atoms.Cr2O72– (aq) +14 H+→ Cr3+(aq) + 7H2O (l)

Step 5: Add electrons to one side of the halfreaction to balance the charges. If need
be,make the number of electrons equal in the twohalf reactions by multiplying one or
both halfreactions by appropriate coefficients. Fe2+ (aq) → Fe3+ (aq) + e– Cr2O72– (aq)
+ 14H+ (aq) + 6e– → 2Cr3+(aq) +7H2O (l) 6Fe2+ (aq) →6 Fe3+ (aq) +6 e–

Step 6: We add the two half reactions toachieve the overall reaction and cancel
theelectrons on each side. This gives the net ionicequation as : 6Fe 2+(aq) + Cr2O72–
(aq) + 14H+(aq) → 6 Fe3+(aq) +2Cr 3+(aq) + 7H2O(l)

 Types of Redox reactions

1. Combination reaction: When two or more reactants react to form single product.
i.e a + b --> ab (in this single product is formed).
For the reaction to be Redox, both the elements should be in elemental form.
For example: All combustion reactions are Redox reactions.

C0 + O2 --> CO2
Carbon Oxygen Carbondioxide

2. Decomposition reaction: It is the type of reaction, in which a reactant breaks up into

its constituents either by heating, passing current or in presence of light.

2. Displacement reaction: It is the reaction between element and a compound. In This

more reactive element displaces less reactive from its compound.
CuSO4 + Zn --> ZnSO4 + Cu
 Copper Sulphate Zinc Zinc Sulphate Copper

 Displacement reactions fit into two categories: metal displacement and non
metal displacement.
 Metal displacement: a metal in a compound can be displaced by another metal in
the uncombined state .Metal displacement reactions find many applications in
metallurgy. Few examples are:

 Non-metal displacement: The non metal displacement involves mainly

displacement of hydrogen and a rarely occurring reaction involving oxygen
displacement .For example:

 Non metal non-metal displacement: in this non metal gets displaced by non
metal according to reactivities .For example if we consider fluorine and chlorine
so, it is but obvious that fluorine can replace chlorine as it is more reactive.

4. Disproportionate reaction: A reaction in which the same species is simultaneously

reduced and oxidized .One of the reacting species in this reaction is always an element,
that can exist in at least three oxidation states .The element in the form of reacting
species is in the intermediate oxidation state .In this higher and lower both oxidation
states of the element are formed.
For Example:-
H2O2 --> H2O + H2
Hydrogen Peroxide Water Hydrogen Gas
In above example, the oxidation number of Oxygen which is -1 in peroxide increases
to zero in O2 and decreases to -2 in water.

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