• Electrochemistry is the study of chemical

processes that cause electrons to move.

• Electricity can be generated by movements of

electrons from one element to another in a
reaction known as an oxidation-reduction
("redox") reaction.
• The batteries in your remote and the engine
in your car are only a couple of examples of
how chemical reactions create power
through the flow of electrons.
• The cell potential is the way in which we
can measure how much voltage exists
between the two half cells of a battery.
• The cell potential, Ecell , is the measure of
the potential difference between two half
cells in an electrochemical cell.
• The potential difference is caused by the
ability of electrons to flow from one half cell
to the other.
• Electrons are able to move between
electrodes because the chemical reaction is
a redox reaction.
• During oxidation, the substance loses one
or more electrons, and thus becomes
positively charged.
• Conversely, during reduction, the
substance gains electrons and becomes
negatively charged.
Oxidation-Reduction
"redox"
Reaction
 What is oxidation?
Old definition:
Combination of substance with oxygen
C (s) + O2(g) CO2(g)

Current definition:
Loss of Electrons is Oxidation (LEO)
Na Na+ + e-
Positive charge represents electron deficiency
ONE POSITIVE CHARGE MEANS DEFICIENT BY ONE ELECTRON
 What is reduction?
Old definition:
Removal of oxygen from a compound
WO3 (s) + 3H2(g) W(s) + 3H2O(g)

Current definition:
Gain of Electrons is Reduction (GER)
Cl + e- Cl -
Negative charge represents electron richness
ONE NEGATIVE CHARGE MEANS RICH BY ONE ELECTRON
 OXIDATION-REDUCTION
• Oxidation and reduction go hand in hand.
• In a reaction, if there is an atom undergoing
oxidation, there is probably another atom
undergoing reduction.

• When there is an atom that donates electrons,

there is always an atom that accepts electrons.

• Electron transfer happens from one atom to

another.
 How to keep track of electron
transfer?
Oxidation number or oxidation state (OS):
Usually a positive, zero or a negative number (an integer)

A positive OS reflects the tendency atom to loose electrons

A negative OS reflects the tendency atom to gain electrons

 Rules for assigning OS
1. The sum of the oxidation numbers of all of the atoms
in a molecule or ion must be equal in sign and value
to the charge on the molecule or ion.

Potassium Permanganate Sulfate anion

KMnO4 SO42-
OS of K + OS of Mn +
4 (OS of O) = 0 OS of S + 4 (OS of O) = -2
 Also, in an element, such as S8 or O2 , this rule
requires that all atoms must have an oxidation
number of 0.
2. In binary compounds (those consisting of only two
different elements), the element with greater
electronegativity is assigned a negative OS equal
to its charge as a simple monatomic ion.

NaCl MgS
Na+ Cl- Mg2+ S2-
3. When it is bonded directly to a non-metal atom,
the hydrogen atom has an OS of +1. (When bonded
to a metal atom, hydrogen has an OS of -1.)

H2 O HCl
2H+ O2- H+ Cl-
 1. Find the OS of each Cr in K2Cr2O7

Let the OS of each Cr be = x

Net charge on the neutral K2Cr2O7 molecule = 0

So we have,
2(OS of K) + 2 ( OS of Cr) + 7 (OS of O)= 0
2(+1) + 2 ( x) + 7 (-2)= 0
2+ 2 ( x) +(-14)= 0
2+ 2 ( x) +(-14)= 0
2 ( x) +(-12) = 0
2 ( x) = (12)
x=6
 2. Find the OS of each C in C2O42-
Let the OS of each C be = x
OS of O = -2 (Remember O belongs to Gp. 6A)
So we have,
2(OS of C) + 4 ( OS of O) = -2
2(x) + 4 ( -2) = -2
2 ( x) +(-8)= -2
2 ( x) +(-8)= -2
2x= +6
X=+3
Balancing simple redox reactions

Cu (s) + Ag + (aq) Ag(s) + Cu2+ (aq)

Step 1: Pick out similar species from the equation.

Identify the Redox Reaction
OIL Oxidation: Cu0 (s) Cu2+ (aq)
RDG Reduction: Ag + (aq) Ag0 (S)
Step 2: Balance the equations individually for
charges and number of atoms
Oxidation: Cu0 Cu 2+ + 2e -
(S) (aq)
Reduction: Ag + (aq) + e- Ag0 (S)
Step 2: Balance the equations individually for
number of atoms
Oxidation:Cu0 (s) Cu2+ (aq)
1- Cu- 1
Reduction: Ag + (aq) Ag0 (S)

1- Ag- 1
 Step 2: Balance the equations individually for
charges.
Oxidation: Cu0(S) Cu2+ (aq) + 2e-
1(0) = 1(+2) + 2e

Reduction: Ag+ (aq) + e- Ag 0 (S)

1(+1) + e- = 1(0)
 Balancing simple redox reactions
Cu0(S) Cu2+ (aq) + 2e-
Cu0 (S) becomes Cu 2+ (aq) by loosing 2 electrons.
So Cu0(S) getting oxidized to Cu2+ (aq) is the
oxidizing half reaction.
Ag + (aq) + e- Ag0 (S)
Ag+ (aq) becomes Ag 0 (S) by gaining 1 electron.
So Ag+ (aq) getting reduced to Ag (S) is the
reducing half reaction.
Balancing simple redox reactions
Final Balancing act:
Making the number of electrons equal in both
half reactions

[Cu0(S) Cu2+ (aq) + 2e-] × 1

[Ag + (aq) + e- Ag (S)]× 2
So we have,
Cu0(S) Cu2+ (aq) + 2e-

2Ag + (aq) + 2e- 2Ag (S)

 Balancing simple redox reactions
Cu0(S) Cu2+ (aq) + 2e-

2Ag + (aq) + 2e- 2Ag (S)

Cu0 (S) + 2Ag + (aq) + 2e-

Cu2+ (aq) + 2Ag (S) + 2e-

Cu0 (S) + 2Ag + (aq) Cu2+ (aq) + 2Ag (S)

 Balancing complex redox reactions

Fe+2(aq) + MnO4-(aq) Mn+2(aq) + Fe+3(aq)

Oxidizing half:
Fe+2(aq) Fe+3(aq)
Reducing half:
MnO4-(aq) Mn+2(aq)
Balancing atoms:
Balancing -(aq)+
oxygens: MnO4 Mn+2(aq) + 4H2O
 Balancing complex redox reactions
Balancing hydrogens:
Reaction happening in an acidic medium

MnO4-(aq)+8H+ Mn+2(aq) + 4H2O

Oxidation
numbers: Mn = +7,
O = -2 Mn = +2

Balancing electrons:
The left side of the equation has 5 less electrons than the right side

MnO4-(aq)+8H++ 5e- Mn+2(aq) + 4H2O

Reducing Half
 Balancing complex redox reactions
Final Balancing act:
Making the number of electrons equal in both half reactions

[Fe+2(aq) Fe+3(aq) + 1e- ]× 5

[MnO4-(aq)+8H++ 5e- Mn+2(aq) + 4H2O]×1

5Fe+2(aq) 5Fe+3(aq) + 5e-

MnO4-(aq)+8H++ 5e- Mn+2(aq) + 4H2O
5Fe2++MnO4-(aq)+8H++ 5e-
5Fe3+ +Mn+2(aq) + 4H2O + 5e-
 Balancing complex redox reactions
5Fe2++MnO4-(aq)+8H+ 5Fe3+ +Mn+2(aq) + 4H2O
Topic: Electrochemistry_ Worksheet (100 points)

1.

2.

3.
MnO4− + C2O42- ¾¾® Mn2+ + CO2
 Worksheet
Topic: Electrochemistry
Show oxidation - reduction of the chemical reaction described below.
a. Determine the charges of each element present in a
compound. (10 points)
b. Determine oxidation and reduction equations. (30 points)
c. Provide the balanced redox equation, considering the
number of atoms and charges of the reactants and
products. (50 points)

MnO4−(aq) + C2O42−(aq) ¾¾® Mn2+ (aq) + CO2(aq)