Oxidation States and Redox Reactions Flashcards
What is the oxidation state of an element?
Tells you the total number of electrons it has donated or accepted when it is in a particular compound or ion.
What is the oxidation state of uncombined elements?
0
What is the oxidation state of elements bonded to identical atoms?
0
What is the oxidation state of a simple monoatomic ion?
The same as its charge.
What is the oxidation state for a neutral compound?
0
What is the oxidation state of oxygen in a peroxide?
-1
What is the oxidation state of hydrogen in a metal hydride?
-1
What is oxidation?
A loss of electrons.
What is reduction?
A gain of electrons.
Describe the role of an oxidising agent?
It accepts electrons and gets reduced.
Describe the role of a reducing agent?
It donates electrons and gets oxidised.
How much will the oxidation number go up by electrons lost?
For each electron lost, oxidation number increases by 1.
How much will the oxidation number go up by electrons gained?
For each electron gained, oxidation number decreases by 1.
What follows in terms of oxidation numbers when metals form compounds?
They generally donate electrons to form positive ions- this is accompanied by an increase in oxidation number.
What follows in terms of oxidation numbers when non-metals form compounds?
They generally gain electrons to form negative ions- this is accompanied by a decrease in oxidation number.
