Boardworks AS Chemistry

Redox Reactions

Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
This slide can be used for revision of the material about redox covered at
GCSE.

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Photo credit: Charles D. Winters / Science Photo Library

Demonstration of the thermite reaction between powdered aluminium and
iron(III) oxide. Aluminium (Al) removes the oxygen atoms from the iron(III)
oxide (Fe2O3). The heat needed to start the reaction is usually provided by a
magnesium fuse. The equation for the reaction is: 2Al + Fe 2O3  Al2O3 + 2Fe.
This reaction produces much heat. It is used in incendiary weapons and in
underwater welding.

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
Most often when chemists talk about oxidation and reduction, they are talking
about the loss or gain of electrons.

Oxidation usually happens to metals because they usually form positive ions;
and reduction usually happens to non-metals because they usually form
negative ions. Students could therefore be encouraged to link the third
definitions of oxidation and reduction to electronic structure.

See the ‘Electron Arrangement’ presentation for more information on

electronic structure.
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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
See the ‘Halogens’ presentation for more information about halogen
displacement reactions like the one shown here.

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
Other common oxidizing agents include chromium(VI) oxide (CrO 3) and
sodium peroxide (Na2O2).

Lithium tetrahydridoaluminate(III) is also known as aluminium hydride, and

sodium tetrahydridoborate(III) is also known as sodium borohydride. They are
common organic reducing agents.

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
The oxidation number of an atom tells you its relative state of oxidation,
compared to an element on its own because an element on its own has an
oxidation state of zero.

There are some exceptions to the special examples in rule 3. For example:
1) Hydrogen in metal hydrides (hydrogen has oxidation state -1 in NaH).
2) Oxygen in peroxides (oxygen has oxidation state +1 in H 2O2).
3) Oxygen in compounds with fluorine, because fluorine is more
electronegative than oxygen (oxygen has oxidation state +2 in F 2O).
4) Chlorine
12 of 41 in compounds with fluorine or oxygen, because fluorine and © Boardworks Ltd 2009
 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Photo credit: Andrew Lambert Photography / Science Photo Library

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
This slide can be used for revision of the material about displacement
reactions covered at GCSE.

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
See the ‘Halogens’ presentation for more information and examples of
disproportionation reactions and more about the chlorate(I) ion.

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Photo credit: Denis Selivanoy / Shutterstock.com

Iron ore

Teacher notes
The process for the extraction of a metal generally takes place in the following
stages:
1) Finding, mining and quarrying the rock
Before quarrying, rocks are tested to ensure that they contain enough ore
to make it worth collecting them.
2) Concentrating the ore
Ores are concentrated to get rid of as much waste rock as possible. Various
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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
Students could be encouraged to discuss which of these metals are more
expensive and relate this to their methods of extraction. For example,
electrolysis is a very expensive process because it requires a large amount of
energy; this makes aluminium a relatively expensive metal.

The method of extraction is not the only important economic factor. Others
include the price for which the metal can be sold (e.g. gold will fetch a higher
price than copper) and the purity of the metal needed (e.g. copper for wires
needs to be purer than iron for construction work). The price for which a metal
can be sold is also related to the abundance of the ore. All these factors are
important in deciding whether to mine a particular ore.
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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Photo credit: Florin C / Shutterstock.com

Teacher notes
The copper is reduced from oxidation state +1 to 0 and the oxygen is reduced
from oxidation state 0 to -2.
The sulfur is oxidized from oxidation state -2 to +4.
The reducing agent is the sulfide ion.

At first sight, it may look as if O 2 is behaving as a reducing agent, reducing the

copper sulfide to copper. This equation could be highlighted as an example of
the 27
importance
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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
Students should already be aware that sulfur dioxide can dissolve in rainwater
to form sulfuric acid, one of the acids in acid rain.

Sulfuric acid has many industrial uses, including the manufacture of fertilizers
and pharmaceuticals.

The reaction between sulfur trioxide and water would produce sulfuric acid
directly, but it is highly exothermic and produces a mist of concentrated
sulfuric acid. The sulfur trioxide is therefore dissolved into an existing solution
of concentrated sulfuric acid, to produce H 2S2O7 (oleum), which is then
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Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
Copper is reduced from oxidation state +2 to 0.
Iron is oxidized from oxidation state 0 to +2.

Advantages of the displacement reaction include making use of scrap iron that
would otherwise have to be dumped, and the lower temperatures used. Lower
temperatures mean lower energy costs, which is both cheaper and less
environmentally harmful.

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Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
More reactive metals like Na and Al are often extracted by electrolysis. This
requires a lot of energy so makes them relatively expensive metals.

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Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Photo credit: James King-Holmes / Science Photo Library

Fan blades for the Rolls Royce RB211 engine, which is used to power jumbo
jet aircraft such as the Boeing 747. The blades are made of titanium. They are
stacked ready for use during aircraft maintenance. The Rolls Royce RB211
was developed during the 1960s. Its large fan drives slow-moving air around
the core engine, increasing engine efficiency and reducing noise.

Teacher notes
Titanium cannot be extracted by reduction of the ore with carbon because it
reacts with carbon to form titanium carbide, TiC.

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Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Photo credit: Sebastian Kaulitzki / Shutterstock.com

Teacher notes
Like titanium, tungsten cannot be extracted using reduction of the ore with
carbon because tungsten carbide is formed. However, tungsten carbides (WC
and W2C) are very hard substances with many applications, from drill tips and
ammunition to ball point pens.

Students could be asked to consider the displacement of tungsten by

hydrogen and encouraged to conclude that if tungsten can be displaced by
hydrogen, it must fall below hydrogen in the reactivity series.
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Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
It could be highlighted that the electrolysis of aluminium uses a large amount
of energy. This has environmental implications as well as being expensive.

Dissolving the ore in cryolite requires lower temperatures than using molten
aluminium oxide, so this reduces energy consumption. It could also be pointed
out that the electrolysis of aluminium is a continuous process, which is more
efficient than a batch process (such as that used in the extraction of titanium).

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Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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Redox Reactions

Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

Teacher notes
• anode – The positive electrode.
• batch process – A manufacturing process in which once some product is made, the process must be
stopped then restarted to make more product.
• bauxite – An aluminium ore containing aluminium oxide, Al 2O3.
• blast furnace – The piece of equipment in which iron is extracted from its ore by high temperature
reduction with carbon from coke or carbon monoxide.
• cathode – The negative electrode.
• Contact Process – A three-stage process for making sulfuric acid from sulfur dioxide.
• continuous process – A manufacturing process in which reactants can be added to the system and
products removed without interruption.
• cryolite – The substance Na3AlF6 (sodium hexafluoroaluminate) used to dissolve aluminium oxide to
make the electrolyte for the extraction of aluminium by electrolysis.
• displacement reaction – A reaction in which an element is displaced out of a compound by a more
reactive element; for example bromine displaces iodine in: Br 2 + 2KI → 2KBr + I2.
• disproportionation – A reaction in which the same element is both oxidized and reduced; for
example, chlorine in: Cl2 + H2O → HCl + HOCl.
• electrolysis – The process of passing an electric current through a molten or aqueous compound to
split it into elements.
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• ofextraction
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 Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions
Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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Boardworks AS Chemistry
Redox Reactions

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