Redox as electron transfer & Oxidising and reducing agents

Question 1

What is oxidation (in terms of electron transfer)?

Answer 1

The loss of electrons

Question 2

What is reduction (in terms of electron transfer)?

Answer 2

The gain of electrons

Question 3

What is a redox reaction (in terms of electron transfer)?

Answer 3

A reaction in which electrons are transferred from one reacting species to another (an oxidation and reduction reaction happen simultaneously)

Question 4

What is a species?

Answer 4

Any individual chemical entity that can exist on its own, e.g, an atom, a molecule or an ion (simple e.g, Na+ or compound e.g, SO4 2-)

Question 5

Which element is oxidised?

Answer 5

The element that loses electrons

Question 6

Which element is reduced?

Answer 6

The element that gains electrons

Question 7

What is an oxidising agent?

Answer 7

The species that contains the element that is reduced and is the species responsible for oxidising another

Question 8

What is a reducing agent?

Answer 8

The species that contains the element that is oxidised and is the species responsible for reducing another

Question 9

How do you work out which species is the oxidising agent?

Answer 9

Write out the ionic equation for the reaction and identify which species has lost electrons. Then, identify which species has gained electrons and this is the oxidising agent.

Question 10

How do you work out which species is the reducing agent?

Answer 10

Write out the ionic equation for the reaction and identify which element has gained electrons. Then, work out which species has lost electrons and this is the reducing agent