Electrochemistry

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CIE AS Chemistry Your notes
1.6 Electrochemistry
Contents
1.6.1 Oxidation Number Rules
1.6.2 Redox Reactions
1.6.3 Oxidising & Reducing Agents
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1.6.1 Oxidation Number Rules

Your notes
Oxidation Numbers
The oxidation numbers (also known as oxidation state) is a number given to each atom or ion in a
compound to keep track of how many electrons they have
In a single ion or molecular ion, the oxidation number tells us how many electrons have been lost
or gained
Positive oxidation number = loss of electrons
Negative oxidation number = gain of electrons
Oxidation number rules
The oxidation number (ox.no.) refers to a single atom in a compound
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Your notes
Worked example: Deducing oxidation numbers
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Your notes
Answer
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Your notes
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1.6.2 Redox Reactions

Your notes
Balancing Redox Reactions
Oxidation numbers can be used to balance chemical equations
Roman numerals between brackets are used to show the ox. no. of an atom that can have multiple
oxidation states, eg:
Fe(III) = iron with ox. no. +3
Worked example: Writing overall redox reactions
Answer
Step 1: Write the unbalanced equation and identify the atoms which change in ox. no.
Step 2: Deduce the ox.no. changes
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Step 3: Balance the ox.no. changes
Your notes
Step 4: Balance the charges
Step 5: Balance the atoms
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Redox & Disproportionation Reactions

Oxidation Your notes
Oxidation is the gain of oxygen, eg:
Cu + H2 O → CuO + H2
(Cu has gained an oxygen and is oxidised)
Oxidation is also the loss of a hydrogen, eg:
2NH3 + 3Br 2 → N2 + 6HBr
(N has lost a hydrogen and is oxidised)
Oxidation is also the loss of electrons, eg:
Cu 2+ + Mg → Mg2+ + Cu
(Mg has lost two electrons and is oxidised)
Oxidation causes an increase in ox. no., eg:
Cu 2+ + Mg → Mg2+ + Cu
(change in ox. no. of Mg is +2 thus Mg is oxidised)
Reduction
Reduction is the loss of oxygen, eg:
Cu+ H2 O → 2CuO + H2
(O has been reduced)
Reduction is also the gain of a hydrogen, eg:
2NH3 + 3Br 2 → N2 + 6HBr
(Br has been reduced)
Reduction is also the gain of electrons, eg:
Cu 2+ + Mg → Mg2+ + Cu
(Cu has been reduced)
Reduction causes a decrease in oxidation number, eg:
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Cu 2+ + Mg → Mg2+ + Cu
(change in ox. no. of Cu is -2 thus Cu is reduced) Your notes
Use the acronym "Oil Rig" to help you remember the definitions of oxidation and reduction
Redox reactions
Redox reactions are reactions in which oxidation and reduction take place together
While one species is oxidising, another is reducing in the same reaction, eg:
Cu 2+ + Mg → Mg2+ + Cu
(Cu has been reduced and Mg has been oxidised)
Worked example: Oxidation and reduction
Answer
Answer 1:
Oxidised: Cl- as the ox. no. has increased by 1
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Reduced: Na+ as the ox. no. has decreased by 1

Answer 2: Your notes
Oxidised: Mg as the ox. no. has increased by 2
Reduced: Fe 2+ as the ox. no. has decreased by 2
Answer 3:
Oxidised: C as it has gained oxygen
Reduced: Ag as it has lost oxygen
Disproportionation reactions
A disproportionation reaction is a reaction in which the same species is both oxidised and
reduced
Example of a disproportion reaction in which the same species (chlorine in this case) has been both
oxidised and reduced
Worked example: Balancing disproportionation reactions
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Your notes
Answer
Step 1: Write the unbalanced equation and identify the atoms that change in ox. no.
Step 2: Deduce the ox. no. changes
Step 3: Balance the ox. no. changes
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Step 4: Balance the charges
Your notes
Step 5: Balance the atoms
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1.6.3 Oxidising & Reducing Agents

Your notes
Oxidising & Reducing Agents
What is an oxidising agent?
An oxidising agent is a substance that oxidises another atom or ion by causing it to lose
electrons
An oxidising agent itself gets reduced – gains electrons
Therefore, the ox. no. of the oxidising agent decreases
Example of an oxidising agent in a chemical reaction

Reducing agent
A reducing agent is a substance that reduces another atom or ion by causing it to gain electrons
A reducing agent itself gets oxidised – loses/donates electrons
Therefore, the ox.no. of the reducing agent increases
Example of a reducing agent in a chemical reaction

For a reaction to be recognised as a redox reaction, there must be both an oxidising and
reducing agent
Some substances can act both as oxidising and reducing agents
Their nature is dependent upon what they are reacting with and the reaction conditions
Worked Example: Oxidising & reducing agents
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Your notes
Answer
Oxidising agents are substances that oxidise other species, gain electrons and are
themselves reduced.
Write down the oxidation numbers of each species in the reaction
In equation B, Fe 2+ oxidises Mg(0) to Mg2+(+2) and is itself reduced from Fe 2+(+2) to Fe(0)
Roman numerals
Roman numerals are used to show the oxidation states of transition metals which can have
more than one oxidation number
Iron can be both +2 and +3 so Roman numerals are used to distinguish between them
Fe 2+ in FeO can be written as Iron(II) oxide
Fe 3+ in Fe 2 O 3 can be written as Iron(III) oxide
Worked example: Systematic names of compounds
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Your notes
Answer
Answer 1: Iron(II) chloride: ox. no. of 2 Cl atoms is -2 and FeCl2 has overall no charge so ox. no.
of Fe is +2
Answer 2: Chloric(VII) acid: ox. no. of H is +1, 4 O atoms is -8 and HClO 4 has overall no charge so
ox. no. of Cl is +7
Answer 3: Nitrogen(IV) oxide: ox. no. of 2 O atoms is -4 and NO 2 has overall no charge so ox.
no. of N is +4
Answer 4: Magnesium nitrate: this is a salt of the common acid, so they are named without
including the ox. no. of the non-metal
Answer 5: Potassium sulfate: this is a salt of the common acid, so they are named without
including the ox. no. of the non-metal
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Electrochemistry

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CIE AS Chemistry Your notes

1.6.1 Oxidation Number Rules

Worked example: Deducing oxidation numbers

1.6.2 Redox Reactions

Step 2: Deduce the ox.no. changes

Step 3: Balance the ox.no. changes

Step 4: Balance the charges

Step 5: Balance the atoms

Redox & Disproportionation Reactions

Reduced: Na+ as the ox. no. has decreased by 1

Step 2: Deduce the ox. no. changes

Step 3: Balance the ox. no. changes

Step 4: Balance the charges

Step 5: Balance the atoms

1.6.3 Oxidising & Reducing Agents

Example of an oxidising agent in a chemical reaction

Example of a reducing agent in a chemical reaction

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