How do you know which element is being oxidized? Oxidation is lost, Reduction is gained.
So in this equation:
2 MnO4^- + 5 C2O4^2- + 16H+ (right arrow) 2 Mn^2+ + 10 CO2 + 8 H2O
what element is oxidized?
a. no element is oxidized
b. Mn
c. C
d. O
my answer was Mn bc on the reactants side, Mn has +7 and productsi s +2, so this decreased, but this is wrong.
my answer was Mn bc on the reactants side, Mn has +7 and productsi s +2, so this decreased, but this is wrong. >> Of course it is wrong, it gained electrons. Oxidation is losing negative charge, going more positive.
ok so is the correct answer C because it initially has a +3 oxid . #, and then on the products it's 4. Is C correct?
Oxygen stays the same because it 's -2 on both reactants and products so there is no reducation or oxidation there
Yes, C is oxidized, it loses electrons.
To determine which element is being oxidized in a redox reaction, you can follow the steps below:
1. Assign oxidation states: Start by assigning oxidation states (numbers) to each element in the reaction. In this case:
2 MnO4^- + 5 C2O4^2- + 16H+ → 2 Mn^2+ + 10 CO2 + 8 H2O
For simplicity, let's focus on the elements whose oxidation states change: Mn, C, and O.
The oxidation states for each element in the reactants side are:
- Mn: +7
- C: +3 (C2O4^2- ion overall has a -2 charge, so each C has an oxidation state of +3)
- O: -2 (each O in MnO4^- has an oxidation state of -2)
The oxidation states for each element in the products side are:
- Mn: +2
- C: +4 (each C in CO2 has an oxidation state of +4)
- O: -2 (each O in H2O has an oxidation state of -2)
2. Identify oxidation changes: Next, compare the oxidation states of each element in the reactants and products to determine if they have increased or decreased.
In this case:
- The oxidation state of Mn decreased from +7 to +2 (a decrease in oxidation state indicates reduction).
- The oxidation state of C increased from +3 to +4 (an increase in oxidation state indicates oxidation).
- The oxidation state of O remains the same (-2 in both reactants and products).
Based on these changes, it can be concluded that the element being oxidized in this reaction is carbon (C).
Therefore, the correct answer is c. C.
It's important to note that oxidation states alone are not always enough to determine the elements being oxidized and reduced. Reaction contexts and other factors should also be considered.