What is the oxidized substance in the following reaction? Fe + 2HCl → FeCl2 + H2
the iron is oxidized
the hydrogen is reduced
In the given reaction, Fe (iron) is oxidized to FeCl2 (iron chloride).
In the given reaction, Fe (iron) reacts with 2HCl (hydrochloric acid) to form FeCl2 (iron(II) chloride) and H2 (hydrogen gas). To determine the oxidized substance, we need to look at the changes in oxidation numbers.
Oxidation number is a measure of the loss or gain of electrons by an atom in a compound or reaction. In this case, we need to compare the oxidation numbers of Fe in both the reactants and the products.
In Fe, the oxidation number of iron is 0 because it is in its elemental form. In FeCl2, the oxidation number of Fe is +2 because chlorine (Cl) has an oxidation number of -1, and since there are two chloride ions, the overall charge has to be balanced by a +2 charge on the iron ion.
As we can see, the oxidation number of Fe increases from 0 to +2, indicating that Fe has been oxidized in this reaction. Therefore, the oxidized substance in the reaction is Fe.