Redox Flashcards
Define oxidation
Loss of electrons or increase in oxidation number
Define reduction
Gain of electrons or decrease in oxidation number
What is an oxidising agent
- A reagent that oxidises (takes electrons from) another species.
- It contains the species that is reduced.
What is a reducing agent
- A reagent which reduces (adds electrons to) another species
- Contains the species that is oxidised
Write the steps for writing a redox equations from half-equations
- Write out the half equations
- Balance the electrons
- Add the half equations and cancel the electrons
- Cancel any species that are on both sides of the eqaution
Some ideas of how to predict products of redox reactions
- In aqueous redox reactions H2O is often formed.
- H+ and OH- ions are also likely products
- Check that both sides are balanced by charge
Write the half-equations for the following reactions and state whether oxidation or reduction:
- Manganate (VII) ions, MNO4- reacting in acidic conditions to form manganese(II) ions
- VO3- reacting in acidic conditions to produce Vanadium (III) ions
- Chromium (III) ions reacting in alkaline solution to produce chromate (VI) ions
- MnO4- + 8H+ + 5e- → Mn2+ + 4H2O = Reduction
- VO3- + 6H+ + 2e- →V3+ +3H2O = Reduction
- Cr3+ + 8OH- →CrO4 2- + 3e- + 4H2O = Oxidation
Describe the procedure of a manganate (VII) titration
- A standard solution of potassium manganate is added to the burette
- Using a pipette, add a measured volume of the solution being analysed to the conical flask.
- An excess of dilute sulfuric acid is also added to provide the H+ ions required for the reduction of MnO4- ions.- no indicator needed
- During the titration the manganate solution reacts and is decolourised and the endpoint is judged by the first permanent pink colour, indicating when there is an excess of MnO4- ions present.
- Repeat until you obtain concordant titres. 6. The manganate titrations can be used for the analysis of many different reducing agents e.g Fe2+ and COOH2
Describe how you would analyse the purity of an iron (II) compound
- Do a manganate titration with impure iron compound e.g. FeSO4.7H2O -this will be in a conical flask and have the KMnO4 added
- Calculate the meant titre- volume of KMnO4- and from this calculate the mols of MnO4- reacted
- Then determine the mols of Fe2+ that reacted using the equation and molar ratios.
- Scale up to find the amount of Fe2+ in the original solution
- Find mass of FeSO4.7H2O in the impure sample
- Find percentage purity= mass of FeSO4.7H2O/mass of impure sample* 100
What is a half-cell
- A half-cell contains the chemical species present in a redox half-equation.
- A voltaic cell can be made by connecting together two different half-cells, which then allow electrons to flow.
- A voltaic cell is a type of electrochemical cell which converts chemical energy into electrical energy - takes place in modern cells and batteries that power devices such as mobile phones. 4. In the cell the chemicals in the two half-cells must be kept apart- if allowed to mix, the electrons would flow in an uncontrolled way and heat energy would be released rather than electrical energy.
Describe what a metal/metal ion half-cell looks like
- A metal rod dipped into a solution of its aqueous metal ion. A vertical line is used for the phase boundary between the aqueous solution and the metal e.g Zn2+(aq)|Zn(s)
- At the phase boundary an equilibrium will be set up
- Convention is that the equilibrium is written so that the forward reactions shows reduction and the reverse shows oxidation.
- In an isolated half-cell there is no net transfer of electrons either into or out of the metal.
Describe what an ion/ion half-cell looks like
- Contains ions of the same element in different oxidaiton states e.g Fe2+ and Fe3+ Fe3+ (aq) + e- ↔ Fe2+ (aq)
- There is no metal to transport electrons in this half-cell so and inert metal electrode made out of platinum is used.
How do you know which electrode has a greater tendency to gain or lose electrons in a cell with two metal/metal ion half-cells.
- The more reactive metal releases electrons more readily and is oxidised
- The electrode with the more reactive metal loses electrons and is oxidised- negative electrode
- The electrode with the less reactive metal gains electrons and is reduced- positive electrode.
Define standard electrode potential
The e.m.f of a half-cell compared with a standard hydrogen half-cell measured at 298 K with solution concentrations of 1 mol dm-3 and a gas pressure of 100kPa
Describe the standard hydrogen half-cell
- Beaker containing 1 mol dm-3 of H+(aq)
- Glass tube with holes to allow bubbles of H2 (g) to escape
- H2(g) Going into the glass tube at the top
- Platinum electrode.
- The standard electrode potential of a standard hydrogen electrode is exactly 0V
Describe how to measure a standard electrode potential
- Connect the half-cell to a standard hydrogen electrode
- The two electrodes are connected by a wire to allow a controlled flow of electrons
- The two solutions are connected with a salt bridge which allows ions to flow. The salt bridge typically contains a concentrated solution of an electrolyte that does not react with either solution e.g. a strip of filter paper soaked in aqueous potassium nitrate
- A voltmeter is connected in the middle of the wires.
Why is potassium nitrate used as a salt bridge over potassium iodide and chloride and sulfate for an Ag+ cell
- All the other chemicals will react with Ag+ to produce precipitates.