Chapter 6.

1:
Redox reactions

Lecturer: Uking Xiang

Contact: uking@alumni.usc.edu
WeChat: HelloUking

Contents:
• Section A: Three ways to define Redox reactions
• Section B: Oxidising and Reducing agents
• Section C: Naming compounds from oxidation states
• Section D: Balancing chemical equations
Section A: Three ways to define Redox reactions

a. in terms of specific elements – oxygen and hydrogen

b. in terms of electron transfer
c. in terms of oxidation number.

a. in terms of specific elements – oxygen and hydrogen

A gain of oxygen is called oxidation. The substance has been oxidised.

A loss of oxygen is called reduction. The substance is reduced.

Oxidation and reduction always

take place together.

So the reaction is called a redox

reaction.
b. in terms of electron transfer

If a substance loses electrons during a reaction, it has been oxidised.

If it gains electrons, it has been reduced.

The reaction is a redox reaction.

Half-equations

Each magnesium atom loses its two outer electrons:

Mg → 2e⁻ + Mg²⁺

Each oxygen atom gains two electrons to attain the noble gas
configuration:
O + 2e⁻ → O²⁻

The overall reaction is: 2Mg(s) + O₂(g) → 2MgO(s)

Hence magnesium is oxidized (loses electrons) and oxygen is reduced

(gains electrons).
Half-equations
 A half-equation is used to describe either the gain or the
loss of electrons during a redox process.

 Half-equations help to show what is happening during a

reaction.
 Two half-equations combine to give the overall balanced
equation.

Examples

1.With the help of above Table, write the separate ionic half-
equations for the reactions of:
a) sodium with chlorine
b) zinc with oxygen
c) calcium with bromine.
 c. in terms of oxidation number.

Oxidation number rules

1 The oxidation number of uncombined elements is zero.

2 In ions made of just one atom the oxidation number of the
element is the charge on the ion.
3 The sum of the oxidation numbers in a neutral compound is
zero.
4 The sum of the oxidation numbers for an ion is the charge
on the ion.
5 Some elements have fixed oxidation numbers in all their
compounds.

c. in terms of oxidation number.

Metals Non-metals

Group 1 metals +1 Hydrogen +1

(e.g. Li, Na, K) (except in metal hydrides, H⁻)

Group 2 metals +2 Fluorine –1

(e.g. Mg, Ca, Ba)

Oxygen –2
Aluminium +3 (except in peroxides, O₂²⁻, and compounds with
fluorine)

Zinc, Zn +2
Chlorine –1
Silver, Ag +1 (except in compounds with oxygen and fluorine)
 c. in terms of oxidation number.
But atoms of transition elements can have variable oxidation
states in their compounds.

c. in terms of oxidation number.

Oxidation describes a process in which the oxidation state

increases and
reduction describes a process in which the oxidation state
decreases.

Oxidation numbers can be positive, negative or zero.

 Examples

What is the oxidation number of:

a) aluminium in aluminium oxide, Al₂O₃
c) nitrogen in barium nitrate, Ba(NO₃)₂
b) nitrogen in magnesium nitride, Mg₃N₂
d) nitrogen in the ammonium ion, NH₄⁺?

Are these elements oxidised or reduced when they react to form these
compounds?
a) calcium to calcium bromide
b) chlorine to lithium chloride
c) chlorine to chlorine dioxide
d) sulfur to hydrogen sulfide
e) sulfur to sulfuric acid

Overall redox equations

The rules for deriving the overall equation from half-equations are:

1 Check that one half-equation has the electrons on the left-hand side
and the other has them on the right-hand side.

2 Multiply the half-equations by integers so that the number of electrons

is the same in both.

3 Add the two equations and cancel the electrons (and any spectator
ions).

4 Check that both reactants are on the left-hand side of the overall
equation.
Overall redox equations

An ionic equation shows the ions that take part in the reaction.

For example, for the reaction between chlorine and potassium

bromide:

The electrons cancel, giving the ionic equation for the reaction:

Cl₂ +2Br₂ → 2Cl⁻ + Br₂

Summary

Oxidation Reduction
Loss of electrons Gain of electrons
Loss of oxygen
Gain of oxygen
Gain of hydrogen
Loss of hydrogen
increase in oxidation decrease in oxidation
number number

升失氧 降得还

Redox: A simultaneous oxidation and reduction reaction

 Section B: Oxidising and Reducing agents

a. Potassium manganate(VII): an oxidising agent

b. Potassium dichromate(VI): an oxidising agent
c. Potassium iodide: a reducing agent

Section B: Oxidising and Reducing agents

A reducing agent is a substance

which reduces another substance
and itself is oxidised

An oxidising agent is a
substance which oxidises
another substance and itself is
reduced.
Oxidising and reducing agents in the lab

 Some substances have a strong drive to gain electrons. So

they are strong oxidising agents. They readily oxidise other
substances by taking electrons from them. Examples are
oxygen and chlorine.

 Some substances are strong reducing agents, readily giving

up electrons to other substances. Examples are hydrogen,
carbon monoxide, and reactive metals like sodium.

 Some oxidising and reducing agents show a colour change

when they react. This makes them useful in lab tests.

a. Potassium manganate(VII): an oxidising agent

b. Potassium dichromate(VI): an oxidising agent

Outside the lab, it is used to test for

alcohol (ethanol) on a driver’s breath,
in the breathalyser test. It oxidises
ethanol to ethanal:

c. Potassium iodide: a reducing agent

 Section C: Naming compounds from oxidation states

The basic rules for naming common inorganic compounds:

 the ending ‘-ide’ shows that a compound contains just the two
elements mentioned in the name. The more electronegative
element comes second – for example, sodium sulfide, Na2S,
carbon dioxide, CO₂, and magnesium nitride, Mg₃N₂

 the Roman numbers in names indicate the oxidation numbers of

the elements – for example iron(ii) sulfate, FeSO₄,and iron(iii)
sulfate, Fe₂(SO₄)₃

Section C: Naming compounds from oxidation states

 the traditional names of oxoacids end in ‘-ic’ or ‘-ous’ as in sulfuric

acid, H2SO4, and sulfurous acid, H₂SO₃, as well as in nitric acid,
HNO₃, and nitrous acid, HNO2. The ‘-ic’ ending is for the acid in
which the central atom has the higher oxidation number

 the corresponding traditional endings for the salts of oxoacids

are ‘-ate’ and ‘-ite’ as in sulfate, SO₄²⁻, and sulfite, SO₃²⁻, and in
nitrate, NO₃⁻, and nitrite, NO₂⁻

 the more systematic names for oxoacids and oxosalts use

oxidation numbers as in sulfate(vi) for sulfate, SO₄²⁻, sulfate(iv)
for sulfite, SO₃²⁻, as well as nitrate(v) for nitrate and nitrate(iii)
for nitrite.
Section D: Balancing redox equations using oxidation numbers

The total decrease in oxidation number for the element that

is reduced must equal the total increase in oxidation number
for the element that is oxidised.

Procedure:

1. Identify the atoms which change in ox. no.

2. Deduce the ox. no. changes.

3. Cross multiply

4. Balancing

Section D: Balancing redox equations using oxidation numbers

CuO + NH₃ → Cu + N₂ + H₂O

 Examples

1. MnO₄⁻ ＋ Fe²⁺ ＋ H⁺ → Mn²⁺ ＋ Fe³⁺

2. Ca(NO₃)₂ (s) → CaO (s) ＋ NO₂ (g) ＋ O₂ (g)

3. HI ＋ H₂SO₄ → I₂ ＋ H₂S ＋ H₂O

4. Cl₂ + NaOH → NaCl ＋ NaClO₃ ＋ H₂O

Examples

5. NO₂ ＋ H₂O ＋ O₂ → HNO₃

6. CO ＋ NO → CO₂ ＋ N₂

7. MnO₄²⁻ ＋ H₂O → MnO₄⁻ ＋ MnO₂ ＋ OH⁻