Redox Flashcards
What is oxidation?
`The loss of electrons
What is reduction?
The gain of electrons
How do you determine a reaction is a redox reaction?
By keeping track of the oxidation numbers of the elements involved
What do all redox reactions involve?
The transfer of electrons
What does an increase in oxidation number say about an element?
It has been oxidised
What does a decrease in oxidation number say about an element?
It has been reduced
What occurs in a redox reaction?
Elements in a reaction are both reduced and oxidised
What is an oxidising agent?
A substance that allows for another substance to be oxidised
How does an oxidising agent reduce itself?
Get electrons from another substance
Why is it useful to name compounds involving D-block elements with oxidation numbers?
They have variable oxidation states
When do disproportionation reactions occur?
When one of the reactants is both reduced and oxidised
In an oxidation reaction, which side of the equation should you show electrons on?
The right side
In a reduction reaction, which side of the equation should you show electrons on?
The left side
What is an oxidation number?
The charge on an atom in a chemical species, assuming all atoms are simple monotomic ions
What does an oxidation number tell us?
How many electrons an atom has lost or gained
