Oxidation, reduction and redox

Question 1

What is oxidation and what is reduction?

Answer 1

Oxidation is loss of electrons.
Reduction is gain of electrons.

Question 2

What oxidation state do halogens have?

Answer 2

-1

Question 3

What oxidation state do group 1 metals have?

Answer 3

+1

Question 4

What oxidation state does oxygen have?

Answer 4

-2

Question 5

What oxidation state does hydrogen have?

Answer 5

+1

Question 6

What is an oxidising agent?

Answer 6

An oxidising agent accepts electrons from the species that is being oxidised. It itself gains electrons and is reduced. ( seen as a reduction in oxidation number (gets more negative))

Question 7

What is a reducing agent?

Answer 7

A reducing agent donates electrons to the species being reduced. It itself loses electrons and is oxidised. This is seen as an increase in oxidation number (gets more positive).

Question 8

What are the 4 steps to balancing half equations?

Answer 8

1. Balance all species excluding oxygen and hydrogen
2. balance oxygen using H20
3. balance hydrogen using H+ ions
4. Balance changes using e-

Question 9

How do you combine half equation to make overall redox equations?

Answer 9

combine the reactants and the products then ensure that the number of electrons are the same for both sides.