Can anyone give me a brief explanation about redox? I'm just not understanding any of it. How do you know if a reaction is redox or non redox....how do you know what would be reduced? I am just confused with the redox subject. Any direction?
If you are that confused you need to read more about redox. Here are some things to memorize about redox.
Oxidation is the loss of electrons.
Reduction is the gain of electrons.
(There is a mnemonic aid for this. It is Leo goes grr. From the word Leo, loss of electrons oxidation. OK?). I NEVER tried to remember the definition of oxdn AND reduction because that way I always mixed them up. So I remember ONE of them, namely, that oxidn is the loss of electrons. Then I know reduction must be the opposite. So when you write the half equation, adding electrons is reduction and losing them is oxidation. Now, how do you know what is oxidized and what is reduced. You can tell by the change in oxidation state. Do you know the rules? Here is a simple set.
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Here is a simple equation.
C + O2 ==> CO2.
The oxidation state of C changes from zero on the left to +4 on the right. That means it must have lost 4 electrons which means C was oxidized. Oxygen changes from zero on the left to -2 (for each of them) on the right which means oxygen gained two electrons for each atom of oxygen and that makes oxygen reduced. One set that often confuses students is oxidizing agent and reducing agent. Again, I NEVER memorized EITHER of them. One I know what is oxidized, I immediately know it is the reducing agent. So the "other material" must be reduced and be the oxidizing agent.
I hope this gets you started. Post again if you still have trouble after digesting this information.
Thanks. You broke it down so much better than my professor. :)
Sure! I can help you understand the basics of redox reactions.
Redox (short for reduction-oxidation) reactions involve the transfer of electrons between species. In these reactions, one species loses electrons (oxidation) while another species gains those electrons (reduction). The species that loses electrons is called the reducing agent, while the species that gains electrons is the oxidizing agent.
To determine if a reaction is a redox or non-redox reaction, you need to identify the changes in oxidation numbers of the elements involved. The oxidation number of an element is a positive or negative number that indicates the apparent charge of that element in a compound or ion.
Here are a few guidelines to follow to determine if a reaction is redox:
1. Look for a change in oxidation numbers: If the oxidation number of an element in a compound changes from the reactant side to the product side of the reaction, then it is likely a redox reaction.
2. Identify the oxidized and reduced species: The element that increases its oxidation number is being oxidized (loses electrons) and is the reducing agent. The element that decreases its oxidation number is being reduced (gains electrons) and is the oxidizing agent.
3. Use the mnemonic "OIL RIG": Oxidation Is Loss (of electrons), Reduction Is Gain (of electrons). In a redox reaction, one species will undergo oxidation, and another will undergo reduction.
It's important to note that not all reactions are redox reactions. In some reactions, there may not be any change in oxidation numbers, or there may not be any electron transfer involved.
To practice identifying redox reactions and determining which elements are reduced or oxidized, it may be helpful to work through examples and exercises. There are many online resources, textbooks, and lecture materials available that provide practice problems and solutions specific to redox reactions.
I hope this explanation helps clarify the concept of redox reactions.