CHAPTER 2:

OXIDATION AND REDUCTION

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson the students
should be able to:
1. Define the redox reaction
2. Calculate oxidation number
3. Determine oxidising and reducing
agents.

2.1 Redox - basic concepts

Some points about Oxidation and Reduction:
They are opposites.
They occur together in a chemical reaction - a Redox
reaction.
They can be defined in terms of oxygen, hydrogen, and
electrons.
Oxidation Numbers are useful in deciding, amongst
other things, which chemical species are being oxidised
or reduced in a chemical reaction.

Oxidation

Reduction

Gain of oxygen
eg Mg + O2 MgO

Loss of Oxygen
eg CuO to Cu

Loss of Hydrogen
eg C2H5OH to CH3CHO

Gain of Hydrogen
eg CH3COOH to C2H5OH

Loss of Electrons
eg Fe2+ - e Fe3+

Gain of Electrons
eg H+ + e H2

Increase in Oxidation
Number
eg manganese(II)
to manganese(VII)

Decrease in Oxidation
Number

eg S to S2-

2.2.1 Oxidation number

The charge the atom would have in a molecule (or an
ionic compound) if electrons were completely transferred.
1. Free elements (uncombined state) have an oxidation
number of zero.

Na, Be, K, Pb, H2, O2, P4 = 0

2. In monatomic ions, the oxidation number is equal to
the charge on the ion.

Li+, Li = +1; Fe3+, Fe = +3; O2-, O = -2

3. The oxidation number of oxygen is usually 2. In H2O2
and O22- it is 1.
4.4

4. The oxidation number of hydrogen is +1 except when

it is bonded to metals in binary compounds. In these
cases, its oxidation number is 1.
5. Group IA metals are +1, IIA metals are +2 and fluorine
is always 1.
6. The sum of the oxidation numbers of all the atoms in
a molecule or ion is equal to the charge on the
molecule or ion.

HCO3Oxidation numbers of all

the elements in HCO3- ?

O = -2

H = +1

3x(-2) + 1 + ? = -1
C = +4
4.4

Oxidation numbers of
all the elements in
the following ?

IF7
F = -1
7x(-1) + ? = 0
I = +7

NaIO3
Na = +1
O = -2
3x(-2) + 1 + ? = 0
I = +5

K2Cr2O7
O = -2

K = +1

7x(-2) + 2x(+1) + 2x(?) = 0

Cr = +6
4.4

Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
(electron transfer reactions)
2Mg (s) + O2 (g)

2Mg
O2 + 4e-

2MgO (s)

2Mg2+ + 4e- Oxidation half-reaction (lose e-)

2O2-

Reduction half-reaction (gain e-)

2Mg + O2 + 4e2Mg + O2

2Mg2+ + 2O2- + 4e2MgO

Zn (s) + CuSO4 (aq)

Zn

ZnSO4 (aq) + Cu (s)

Zn is the reducing agent

Zn2+ + 2e- Zn is oxidized

Cu2+ + 2e-

Cu Cu2+ is reduced Cu2+ is the oxidizing agent

Copper wire reacts with silver nitrate to form silver metal.

What is the oxidizing agent in the reaction?

Cu (s) + 2AgNO3 (aq)

Cu
Ag+ + 1e-

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

Cu2+ + 2eAg Ag+ is reduced

Ag+ is the oxidizing agent

4.4

3CuO + 2NH3 3Cu + N2 + 3H2O

The oxidising agent is CuO; it loses oxygen, or is
reduced to Cu.
The three Cu2+ ions (in CuO) each gain 2 electrons to
become Cu - reduction is gain of electrons.
The Oxidation Number of Copper decreases from +2 in
CuO to 0 (zero) in the element Cu - a decrease in
oxidation number is reduction.
The reducing agent is NH3; it loses hydrogen, or is
oxidised to N2.
The two NH3 molecules each lose 3 electrons to become
N2 - oxidation is loss of electrons.
The Oxidation Number of Nitrogen increases from -3 in
NH3 to 0 (zero) in the element N2 - an increase in
oxidation number is oxidation.

Application Problems:
1. What is the oxidation number of chromium in
Na2CrO4
Cr2O722. Given the unbalanced equation below:
Cr2O3(s) + Al(s) ----> Cr(s) + Al2O3(s)
a. identify the oxidation state of each element
b. identify the oxidizing agent
c. identify the reducing agent

Types of Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

Displacement Reaction
A + BC
0

+1

Sr + 2H2O
+4

TiCl4 + 2Mg
0

-1

Cl2 + 2KBr

AC + B

+2

Sr(OH)2 + H2 Hydrogen Displacement

0

+2

Ti + 2MgCl2 Metal Displacement

-1

2KCl + Br2

Halogen Displacement
4.4

Types of Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

Electrolytic reaction
Electrolysis of Molten Sodium Chloride
Anode (oxidation) : 2 Cl- Cl2 + 2e
Cathode (reduction): 2 Na+ + 2e 2Na
Overall:
2 Na+ + 2 Cl- 2 Na + Cl2

Types of Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

Chemical cell reaction
Zn (s) + Cu2+ (aq) Cu (s) + Zn2+ (aq)
(0)
(+2)
(0)
(+2)
2Cr (s) + 3Cd2+ 3Cd (s) + 2Cr3+
(0)
(+2)
(0)
(3+)

Balancing Redox Reactions

Redox reactions often can be most easily
balanced by
a. first dividing them into half-reactions;
that is, the oxidation reaction and the
reduction reaction.
Cr3+(aq) + Cl-(aq) ----> Cr(s) + Cl2(g)
Oxidation: Cl-(aq) ----> Cl2(g) + 2eReduction: Cr3+(aq) + 3e- ----> Cr(s)

b. Balance each half-reaction with

respect
to atoms first, then with
respect to electrons.
Oxidation: 3( 2Cl-(aq) Cl2(g) + 2e)
Reduction: 2( Cr3+(aq) + 3e Cr(s) )
Oxidation: 6Cl-(aq) 3Cl2(g) + 6e
Reduction: 2Cr3+(aq) + 6e 2Cr(s)

c.

Add the two half-reactions together

cancelling the electrons which are now
equal on each side of the arrow.

Final Equation:
2Cr3+(aq) + 6Cl-(aq) 2Cr(s) + 3Cl2(g)

Exercises