CHEM392A Chapter Notes -Oxidation State, Reducing Agent, Proton-Exchange Membrane

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Chemistry
• Course: CHEM392A
• Professor: Richard Ennis

Document Summary

Reduction: a process in which electrons are gained. Oxidation: a process in which electrons are lost. Redox reaction: chemical reaction in which electrons are transferred between particles. The number of electrons gained the reduction equals the total number of electrons lost in the oxidation. Oxidation states: metals and monatomic anions tend to lose electrons (become oxidized, non-metals and monatomic cations tend to gain electrons (become reduced) If the oxidation numbers do not change no transfer of electrons. In any redox reaction, there will always be both oxidation and reduction. For basic solutions only: add oh- to both sides to equal the number of h+ present, combine h+ and oh- on the same side to form h2o. cancel equal h2o. Balancing redox equations using half-reaction equations: balance each half-reaction equation, multiply each reaction to balance electrons, add the two half-reaction equations, cancel electrons and anything that is exactly the same on both sides.