Ch 20: Oxidation-Reduction

Reactions
 Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
• Oxidation: Loss e-
• Reduction: Gain e-

Cu(s) + 2AgNO3(aq)  Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2Ag(s)

 Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

• Oxidation: Loss e-
• Reduction: Gain e-

2Mg(s) + O2(g)  2MgO(s)

 Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
• Oxidation: Loss e-
• Reduction: Gain e-

Ca(s) + 2H2O(l)  Ca(OH)2(aq) + H2(g)

 How are these three reactions alike?
What type of reactions are they?

• Cu + 2AgNO3  Cu(NO3)2 + 2Ag

• 2Mg + O2  2MgO
• Ca + 2H2O  Ca(OH)2 + H2
 Determining Oxidation Numbers
• A system for electron-bookkeeping
• The charge an atom would have if it were
bonded to other more electronegative atoms
• Not an actual charge!
• Oxidation #’s are written as “+2”
• Charges are written as “2+”
 Determining Oxidation
Numbers
• Ox. # of a free or uncombined element is always 0. (Na(s), O2(g), H2(g), Cu(s), etc)
• Ox. #’s of a monoatomic ion is always equal to its charge.
– Ox #’s of elements in Group 1A = +1 (Na+, Li+ etc)
– Ox #’s of elements in Group 2A = +2 (Mg2+, Ca2+, etc)
– Ox # of aluminum = +3 (Al3+)
– Ox # of halogens (fluorine, chlorine, etc) = -1 (F -, Cl-, etc)
– Ox # of hydrogen = +1 in most compounds and ions
Exception is when H is bonded to atoms that are less electronegative than H;
(ex: CaH2, NaH, BH3, etc)
– Ox # of oxygen = -2 in most compounds; Exception is in H 2O2 where O has an Ox # of -1.

• Algebraic sum of individual oxidation numbers of all atoms in a compound = 0.

• Algebraic sum of oxidation numbers for all atoms in a polyatomic ion = charge!
 Determining Oxidation Numbers
20-1 Practice Problems
1. What is the oxidation number of each element in (a)
H2SO4 (b) H2S2O7 (c) SO3

2. What is the oxidation number of each element in (a)

H3PO4 (b) P4O6 (c) KH2PO4

3. What is the oxidation number of each element in (a)

Ca(H2PO4)2 (b) CaSO4 (c) K2MnO4
 Activity Series and Reduction Potential
• Activity Series: ranks metals according to their
reactivity (likeliness to lose e-)
• Top = most reactive (readily loses e-)
• Oxidized most readily  therefore, strong reducing
agents.
• Bottom = least reactive (resistant to losing e-)
» Reduced most readily  therefore, strong oxidizing agents.
 Activity Series and Reduction Potential
• Standard Reduction
Potentials Table: opposite
order of Activity series ! 
h 21
• Lists half-reactions of
o r C
is f
elements by its tendency
t
to gain electrons
e h
Sa
(reduction)v
11. Identify the oxidizing agent and the reducing
agent in the following reactions:
Cl: Reduced; Cl2 = oxidizing agent

0 0 +4 -1

C + 2Cl2  CCl4
C: Oxidized = reducing agent
12. Identify the element that is oxidized and the
element that is reduced in the following
reaction:

0 0 +1 -1

H2 + Cl2  2HCl

Hydrogen = oxidized (H2 = reducing agent)

Chlorine = reduced (Cl2 = oxidizing agent)
 Rules for Balancing Redox Equations
1. Assign oxidation numbers to all atoms/elements
2. Identify the element oxidized and the element reduced.
3. Draw brackets to show which atoms are oxidized or reduced.
4. Determine the change in oxidation number.
5. Choose coefficients to make total increase in ox. # = total
decrease in ox. #.
6. Balance by inspection.
7. If reaction occurs in acidic conditions:
1. use “H+” to balance total number of H atoms
8. use “H2O” to balance total number of O atoms
 20-4 Problems
• See Ch 20 notes for steps and examples on
balancing redox reactions by half-reactions
method.
 Balancing by Half-Reactions Method

3. Balance the following equation and identify

the element oxidized and the oxidizing agent.
The reaction occurs in an acidic solution.

Fe2+ + MnO4-  Fe3+ + Mn2+

 Balancing by Half-Reactions Method
1. Determine oxidation numbers for all atoms (elements).
2. Write out each half-reactions; make sure that # of electrons
lost (oxidation) is equal to # of electrons gained (reduction).
3. Make sure each element is balanced;
• First, balance the elements other than H and O;
• Next, balance the O atoms by adding H2O as needed;
• Then, balance the H atoms by adding H+ as needed.
• Finally, balance the charge by adding e- as needed.
4. Multiply half-reactions by integer if necessary (to make sure
# electrons lost = # electrons gained);
5. Add 2 equations together.
 Balancing by Half-Reactions Method

3. Balance the following equation and identify

the element oxidized and the oxidizing agent.
The reaction occurs in an acidic solution.
+2 +7 -2 +3 +2
Fe2+ + MnO4-  Fe3+ + Mn2+

Fe2+  Fe3+ + e-  5Fe2+  5Fe3+ + 5e-

MnO4- + 5e-  Mn2+  8H+ + MnO4- + 5e-  Mn2+ + 4H2O

8H+ + MnO4- + 5Fe2+  5Fe3+ + Mn2+ + 4H2O

 Balancing by Half-Reactions Method

4. Balance the following equation and identify

the element oxidized and the oxidizing agent.
The reaction occurs in an acidic solution.
+4 -2 +7 -2 +6 -2 +2
SO32- + MnO4-  SO42- + Mn2+

SO32-  SO42- + 2e-  5H2O + 5SO32-  5SO42- + 10e- + 10H+

MnO4- + 5e-  Mn2+  16H+ + 2MnO4- + 10e-  2Mn2+ + 8H2O

6H+ + 2MnO4- + 5SO32-  5SO42+ + 2Mn2+ + 3H2O

 Balancing by Half Reactions
5. Balance the following equation and identify
the element oxidized and the oxidizing agent.
The reaction occurs in an acidic solution.
0 +5 -2 +2 +1 -2 Note: There are actually 2

Zn + NO3-  Zn2+ + N2O N’s involved! Since each N

gains 4 e-, there are a total
of 8 e- being gained!

Zn  Zn2+ + 2e- 4Zn  4Zn2+

 + 8e-
NO3- + 4e-  N2O 10H+ + 2NO3- + 8 e-  N2O + 5H2O

10H+ + 2NO3- + 4Zn  4Zn2+ + N2O + 5H2O
 Balancing by Half Reactions
6. Balance the following equation and identify
the element oxidized and the oxidizing agent.
The reaction occurs in an acidic solution.

+7 -2 -1 +4 -2 +1 -2
MnO + I  MnO2 + IO-
4
- -

I-  IO- + 2e- 3H2O + 3I- 

 IO- +26e- + 6H+
MnO4- + 3e-  MnO2 8H+ + 2MnO4- + 6e-  2MnO2 + 4H2O

2H+ + 3I- + 2MnO4  3IO- + 2MnO4 + H2O
 Balancing by Half Reactions
7. Balance the following equation and identify
the element oxidized and the oxidizing agent.
The reaction occurs in an acidic solution.

0 +5 -2 +1 +5 -2 +2 -2
P + NO  H2PO + NO
3
-
4
-

P  H2PO4- + 5e- 4H2O + P  H2PO4- + 5e- + 6H+ x3

NO3- + 3e-  NO
 4H+ + NO3- + 3e-  NO + 2H2O x5
2 12H2O + 3P  3H2PO4- + 15e- + 18H+
220H+ + 5NO - + 15e-  5NO + 10H O
3 2

2H+ + 3I- + 2MnO4  3IO- + 2MnO4 + H2O