OXIDATION OXIDISING AGENT: BALANCING OF

REDOX REACTIONS NUMBER

RULES TO ASSIGN OXIDATION NUMBER
A reagent which
can increase
the oxidation
number;Oxidants
REDOX REACTION

1) Identify oxidation and reduction

1) Oxidation number of an element in
free elemental state or Uncombined state zero
REDUCING AGENT: 2) Make increase and decrease in O.N equal
2) For ions oxidation number is equal to the charge
A reagent which 3) Balance atoms except O & H
OXIDATION: can decrease
3) The oxidation number of oxygen in most REDOX REACTIONS: 4)
the oxidation
of the compounds is -2 Increase in the Reactions which ACIDIC BASIC
number;Reductants
In peroxides -1 oxidation number involve change
In superoxides —1/2
In O2 F2 +1 in oxidation number - Oxygen with H2O - Charge with OH-
In OF2 +2 REDUCTION: of the - Hydrogen with H+ - Oxygen with H2O
4) Oxidation number of hydrogen is +1 in Decrease in the interacting species
most of its compounds(In metal hydrides -1) oxidation number
5) Oxidation number of fluorine is always -1 and
other halogens also have -1 in halide ions
6) Alkali metals have oxidation number +1 and
alkaline earth metals have oxidation number +2
7) The algebraic sum of the oxidation number of all
the atoms in a compound must be zero.
8) In polyatomic ion, the algebraic sum of all the
REDOX REACTION
oxidation numbers of atoms of the ion must equal
the charge on the ion.
TYPES OF REDOX REACTIONS
>
+1 x -2
KMnO4 1 + x + 4x(-2) = 0 x = +7

COMBINATION REACTION DECOMPOSITION REACTION DISPLACEMENT REACTION DISPROPORTIONATION REACTIONS

A redox reaction in the form Reaction leads to the breakdown of a An ion (or an atom) in a compound In a disproportionation reaction an element
POINTS TO A+B→C compound into two or more components is replaced by an ion (or an atom) of
in one oxidation state is simultaneously
REMEMBER Either A and B or both A and B must be in
at least one of which must be in the another element.
oxidised and reduced.
elemental state. X + YZ → XZ + Y
the elemental form for such a reaction to be It always contains an element that can exist
eg: H2O → H2 + O2
Fe3O4 a redox reaction. in at least three oxidation states.
Carbon suboxide CaOCl2
+2 O +2 +2 +3 +1 -1 eg: H2 + Cl2 → 2HCl eg: 2H2O2 → 2H2O + O2
O = C = C = C = O FeO. Fe2O3 Ca(OCl)Cl
All combustion reactions
Comproportionation reaction:
CrO5 Tribromooctaoxide
A reaction in which an element in a
-2
O
higher oxidation state reacts with the
-1 O O O
-1
O same element in a lower oxidation state to
= =

= =

= =

O +6 +4 +6
O= Br Br =O
Cr
Br
give the element in an intermediate
O
-1
+6 O-1 O O O oxidation state
METAL NON-METAL eg: Pb + PbO2 + 2H2SO4 → 2PbSO4 + 2H2O
DISPLACEMENT DISPLACEMENT
Tetrathionate ion A metal in a compound can be Non-metal in a compound can
O O
Highest O.S— Reduction—Oxidising agent displaced by another metal in be displaced by a metal or a
-
O S
+5 O
S
O
S S
+5
O
- the uncombined state. non-metal
Lowest O.S — Oxidation—Reducing agent eg: CuSO4 + Zn → Cu + ZnSO4 eg: Zn + H2SO4 → ZnSO4 + H2
O O
Intermediate O.S — Oxidation & Reduction Na + H2O → NaOH + H2
—Oxidising Agent & Reducing Agent