What is undergoing oxidation in the redox reaction represented by Fe Fe3+ Cl2 Cl- Pt
In the given redox reaction:
Fe Fe3+ + Cl2 Cl- + Pt
We need to determine what is undergoing oxidation. Oxidation refers to the loss of electrons from a species. To do this, we can assign oxidation states to the elements in the reaction.
The general rules for assigning oxidation states are as follows:
1. The oxidation state of an element in its elemental form is always 0.
2. For ions, the oxidation state is equal to the charge on the ion.
3. Oxygen is usually assigned an oxidation state of -2, except in peroxides where it is -1.
4. Hydrogen is usually assigned an oxidation state of +1, except when bonded to less electronegative elements where it is -1.
5. The sum of oxidation states in a neutral compound is zero, and it equals the overall charge in an ion.
Using these rules, we can assign oxidation states to the elements in the reaction:
Fe Fe3+ + Cl2 Cl- + Pt
0 + (x) 0 + 0
Since the oxidation state of Fe changes from 0 to +3, it has undergone oxidation. Therefore, Fe is the species undergoing oxidation in this redox reaction.