CHAPTER 7

OXIDATION AND
REDUCTION REACTIONS
 REDOX
REACTIONS
 Redox reactions:
- oxidation and reduction reactions that occurs
simultaneously.

 Oxidation:
1) addition of oxygen
2) loss of hydrogen
3) loss of electron
4) increase in the oxidation state / oxidation number
 Reduction:
1) loss of oxygen
2) addition of hydrogen
3) gain of electrons
4) decrease in the oxidation state / oxidation
number
 Electron Transfer Reactions

• Oxidation reactions: half-reaction that involves loss of

electrons
• Reduction reactions: half-reaction that involves gain of
electrons
• Oxidizing agents: substance that accepts electrons
(substances that are reduced)
• Reducing agents: substances that donates electrons
(substances that are oxidized)
 Electron Transfer Reactions

2Mg 2Mg2+ + 4e- Oxidation half-reaction (lose e-)

O2 + 4e- 2O2- Reduction half-reaction (gain e-)

2Mg + O2 + 4e- 2Mg2+ + 2O2- + 4e-

2Mg + O2 2MgO
 Examples:
1) Zn (s) + CuSO4 (aq) ZnSO4 (aq) + Cu (s)
Zn Zn2+ + 2e- Zn is oxidized Zn is the reducing agent

Cu2+ + 2e- Cu Cu2+ is reduced Cu2+ is the oxidizing agent

2) Copper wire reacts with silver nitrate to form silver metal.

What is the oxidizing agent in the reaction?

Cu (s) + 2AgNO3 (aq) Cu(NO3)2 (aq) + 2Ag (s)

Cu Cu2+ + 2e-
Ag+ + 1e- Ag Ag+ is reduced Ag+ is the oxidizing agent
 Oxidation number
The charge the atom would have in a molecule (or an
ionic compound) if electrons were completely transferred.

1. Free elements (uncombined state) have an oxidation

number of zero.
Na, Be, K, Pb, H2, O2, P4 = 0

2. In monatomic ions, the oxidation number is equal

to the charge on the ion.

Li+, Li = +1; Fe3+, Fe = +3; O2-, O = -2

3. The oxidation number of oxygen is usually –2. In
H2O2 and O22- it is –1.
4. The oxidation number of hydrogen is +1 except
when it is bonded to metals in binary compounds.
In these cases, its oxidation number is –1.
5. Group IA metals are +1, IIA metals are +2 and
fluorine is always –1.

6. The sum of the oxidation numbers of all the atoms

in a molecule or ion is equal to the charge on the
molecule or ion.
7. Oxidation numbers do not have to be integers.
Oxidation number of oxygen in the superoxide ion,
O2-, is –½.
The Oxidation Numbers of Elements in their Compounds
Examples:
What are the oxidation numbers of all the elements in
this folowing compounds or ion?

i) HCO3-

O = –2
H = +1
3x(–2) + 1 + ? = –1
C = +4
ii) NaIO3

Na = +1
O = -2
3x(-2) + 1 + ? = 0
I = +5

iii) IF7
iv) K2Cr2O7
v) Li2O
vi) HNO3
 Titrations in Redox Reactions

5Fe2+ + MnO4- + 8H+ Mn2+ + 5Fe3+ + 4H2O

Dark purple (MnO4-) to light pink (Mn2+)

 16.42 mL of 0.1327 M KMnO4 solution is needed to oxidize 25.00
mL of an acidic FeSO4 solution. What is the molarity of the iron
solution?

5Fe2+ + MnO4- + 8H+ Mn2+ + 5Fe3+ + 4H2O

M rxn V
volume red moles red moles oxid M oxid
red coef. oxid

16.42 mL = 0.01642 L 25.00 mL = 0.02500 L

0.1327 mol KMnO4 5 mol Fe2+ 1

0.01642 L x x x = 0.4358 M
1L 1 mol KMnO4 0.02500 L Fe2+
Balancing Redox Equations

 Ion electron method

 Balancing Redox Equations for Reaction
Takes Place in Acidic Solution
 Following is the guideline for balancing an
oxidation-reduction equation in acidic solution by
the ion-electron method.
 Step 1:

- Write the two half-reactions that contain the

elements being oxidised and reduced using the
entire formula of the ion or molecule.
 Step 2:
- Balance all the elements except oxygen and
hydrogen.
 Step 3:

- Balance oxygen using H2O and hydrogen using

H+.
 Step 4:

- Balance the charge using electrons. If

necessary, multiplying one or both balanced half-
reaction by integers to equalize the number of electrons
transferred in the two half reactions.
 Step 5:
- Add the half-reactions and cancel identical
species.
- Verifying – check to be sure that the
elements and charges are balanced.
 Example 1:
Balance the following equation by the ion-
electron method.
Cr2O72- + Cl- Cr3+ + Cl2

 Solution:
Determine the oxidation number of the
species involved.
2Oxn(Cr) + 7Oxn(O) = -2
2Oxn(Cr) + 7(-2) = -2
Oxn(Cr) = +6
 The oxidation number of Cr is +6
The oxidation number of Cl- is -1 whereas
the oxidation number of Cl2 is zero.

Step 1:The ionic equation is divided in 2

distinct half-reactions. One
representing oxidation and the other
representing reduction.
Cr2O72- (aq) Cr3+ (aq) ..(1)(reduction)
Cl- (aq) Cl2 ..(2)(oxidation)
Step 2 : Balance the atoms in each half-
equation separately (except H and O)

Cr2O72- (aq) 2Cr3+ (aq) ……(3)

2Cl- (aq) Cl2 ……(4)

Step 3 : For reaction in acid medium, add

H2O to balance the O atoms and H+
to balance the H atoms.
14H+ + Cr2O72- (aq) 2Cr3+ (aq) + 7H2O …(5)
2Cl- (aq) Cl2 …(6)
Step 4: Balance the charges of each half-
reaction by adding electron(s) to
either the left or right side of the
equation.
If the electron(s) appears on the
right, the process is an oxidation
process.
If electron(s) appears on the left, it is
a reduction process.
- The net charge on the left is +12. The net charge
of Cr on the right is +6.
- Therefore, we add 6 electrons (-6) to the left so
that the net charges on both sides are equal +6
6 e- + 14H+ + Cr2O72- (aq) 2Cr3+ (aq) + 7H2O …(7)

- For the 2nd half-equation, the net charges on the

left is -2 while the net charge on the right is 0.
- Therefore, we add 2 electrons to the right so that
the net charges on both sides are equal -2.
2Cl- (aq) Cl2 + 2 e- …(8)
- Equalise the number of electrons in both
half-equations by multiplying one or two
half-equations with appropriate
coefficients.
- By looking at the 2 half equations, the 2nd
half-equation is multiplied by 3 to balance
the electrons on both half-reaction.
Cr2O72- (aq) + 14H+ + 6 e- 2Cr3+ (aq) + 7H2O …(7)
2Cl- (aq) Cl2 + 2 e- …(8)
(equation (8)  3) 6Cl- (aq) 3Cl2 + 6 e- …(9)
Step 5: Then, add the 2 half-reaction
equations together and balance the
final equation by inspection.
The electrons on both sides should
be cancelled.
Cr2O72- (aq) + 14H+ + 6 e- 2Cr3+ (aq) + 7H2O …(7)
6Cl- (aq) 3Cl2 + 6 e- …(9)

(7) + (9) Cr2O72- (aq) + 14H+ + 6Cl- (aq) 2Cr3+ (aq) + 7H2O
+ 3Cl2