2.6 Redox

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Redox: true or false?

What are redox reactions?
A redox reaction is a reaction in which one

substance is reduced and another is oxidized.
In the Thermit reaction, shown here,

which substance is reduced and
which is oxidized?
iron(III) oxide iron

+  +
aluminium aluminium oxide
The iron(III) ions are reduced and

the aluminium ions are oxidized.

What are oxidation and reduction?
Oxidation and reduction can be used to describe any of the
following processes:
Oxidation Reduction
addition of oxygen loss of oxygen

e.g. 2Mg + O2  2MgO e.g. 2CuO + C  2Cu + CO2
loss of hydrogen addition of hydrogen
e.g. CH3OH  CH2O + H2 e.g. C2H4 + H2  C2H6
loss of electrons gain of electrons
e.g. Al  Al3+ + 3e- e.g. F2 + 2e-  2F-

What are oxidizing and reducing agents?
Oxidizing agents… Reducing agents…

…oxidize other species …reduce other species
…accept electrons …donate electrons

…are themselves reduced …are themselves oxidized
For example, in the reaction below:

2NaCl + F2  2NaF + Cl2
Fluorine:  oxidizes Cl- (to chlorine gas)

 accepts electrons (from Cl-)
 is reduced (to F-)
 is an oxidizing agent
Oxidizing and reducing agents
Common oxidizing agents: Common reducing agents:

 concentrated sulfuric acid  hydrogen (H2)
(H2SO4)
 zinc (Zn)
 potassium manganate(VII)
(KMnO4)  carbon (C)
 potassium dichromate(VI)
(K2Cr2O7)  carbon monoxide (CO)
 manganese(IV) oxide  lithium tetrahydrido-

(MnO2) aluminate(III), (LiAlH4)
 chlorine (Cl2)
 sodium tetrahydrido-
 hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) borate(III) (NaBH4)

Spot the agent

Redox half equations

Balancing half equations

Combining half equations

Oxidation numbers

Working out oxidation numbers

Changes in oxidation number
Oxidation numbers can be used to define the processes
of oxidation and reduction.
During oxidation, the oxidation number increases:

H2  2H+ + 2e-
oxidation
0 +1
number
During reduction, the oxidation number decreases:
Fe3+ + e-  Fe2+
oxidation
+3 +2
number

Oxidation numbers in names
Oxidation numbers can be used in the names of compounds
to indicate which oxidation state a particular element in the
compound is in.
The oxidation state is usually put in brackets in roman
numerals after the name of the element in question.
For example:
iron(II) hydroxide iron(III) hydroxide
Fe(OH)2 Fe(OH)3
iron is in iron is in
oxidation state +2 oxidation state +3

Oxidation or reduction?

Displacement reactions: observations

Displacement reactions

Oxidized, reduced or spectator?

Reaction of metals with acids
The reactions of metals with acids are redox reactions.
What is oxidized and what is reduced in these reactions?
The reaction of magnesium with hydrochloric acid:
Mg + 2HCl  MgCl2 + H2
 Mg is oxidized to Mg2+ ions

 H+ ions are reduced to H2
The reaction of calcium with sulfuric acid:
Ca + H2SO4  CaSO4 + H2
 Ca is oxidized to Ca2+ ions

 H+ ions are reduced to H2

What is disproportionation?
A disproportionation reaction is one in which the same
substance is both oxidized and reduced. For example, the
chlorine in the reaction below:
2NaOH + Cl2  NaCl + NaOCl + H2O
oxidation 0 -1
state reduction
+1
oxidation
The OCl- ion is called the chlorate(I) ion. The (I) indicates
that the chlorine is in oxidation state +1.

Redox or not?

Extracting metals
Metals are extracted from their ores by redox reactions.
An ore is a rock that contains enough of a metal

compound to make it economically viable to quarry
the rock and extract the metal.
Ores are usually metal oxides or sulfides, which are

reduced to extract the metal.
Sulfide ores are often roasted in air to

give the oxide, which is then reduced.
After a metal has been extracted

from its ore, it often needs to be
purified before use.

Methods of extracting metals

Extraction of copper
Copper can be extracted from
chalcopyrite ore (CuFeS2).
The first step in the

extraction is to heat the ore
with silicon oxide to form
copper(I) sulfide, Cu2S.
The second step is to roast the copper(I) sulfide in air.
Cu2S + O2  2Cu + SO2
This is a redox reaction. What is reduced and what is

oxidized in this reaction? What is the reducing agent?

Sulfur dioxide from extraction of copper
The extraction of copper from copper(I) sulfide produces
sulfur dioxide. This is an environmental problem. Why?
Rather than releasing the sulfur dioxide into the

atmosphere, extraction plants trap it. It can then be used in
the Contact Process to make sulfuric acid.
SO2 + O2  SO3
SO3 + H2SO4  2H2S2O7
H2S2O7 + H2O  2H2SO4

Extracting copper by displacement
As an alternative to reduction of a copper oxide or copper
sulfide ore, copper can be extracted by a displacement
reaction with scrap iron.
Low grade copper ore is dissolved in sulfuric acid to form a

dilute solution of copper(II) sulfate, CuSO4. Scrap iron is
added, which displaces copper from the mixture:
CuSO4 + Fe  Cu + FeSO4
What is oxidized and what is reduced in this reaction?
What are the advantages of this method compared to

roasting the copper ore in air?

Using carbon to extract metals
Carbon is used to extract a number of K
metals, including iron, zinc and Na
manganese. Carbon is used to extract Ca
metals less reactive than itself.
Mg
increasing reactivity
Carbon itself can be used as the reducing Al
agent; for example, in the extraction of C
manganese: Zn
Fe
MnO2 + C → Mn + CO2 Pb
Cu
Alternatively, carbon monoxide can be Ag
used as a reducing agent; for example, in Au
the extraction of iron in the blast furnace. Pt

Extraction of iron

Extraction of titanium
Titanium is extracted from its ore rutile, TiO2. It is first
converted from titanium(IV) oxide to titanium(IV) chloride
at 900 °C:
TiO2 + 2Cl2 + 2C  TiCl4 + 2CO
Ti is then displaced from TiCl4 by a

more reactive metal, such as
magnesium or sodium:
TiCl4 + 4Na  Ti + 4NaCl
Conditions are:  temperature of 550 °C

 argon atmosphere
 batch process.
Extraction of tungsten
Tungsten is extracted from an ore called wolframite, which
is a mixture of iron tungstate (FeWO4) and manganese
tungstate (MnWO4).
The first step is the conversion of the ore to tungsten

oxide, WO3.
The next step is to reduce the ore by

reacting it with hydrogen:
WO3 + 3H2  W + 3H2O
Tungsten has the highest melting point of

all the metals (3422 °C) and is therefore
used in conventional lightbulb filaments.

Extraction of aluminium

Extraction of metals

Issues surrounding extracting metals

Recycling metals

Glossary

What’s the keyword?

Multiple-choice quiz

2.6 Redox

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1 of 41 © Boardworks Ltd 2009

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A redox reaction is a reaction in which one

In the Thermit reaction, shown here,

iron(III) oxide iron

The iron(III) ions are reduced and

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addition of oxygen loss of oxygen

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Oxidizing agents… Reducing agents…

…accept electrons …donate electrons

For example, in the reaction below:

Fluorine:  oxidizes Cl- (to chlorine gas)

Common oxidizing agents: Common reducing agents:

 manganese(IV) oxide  lithium tetrahydrido-

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During oxidation, the oxidation number increases:

During reduction, the oxidation number decreases:

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iron(II) hydroxide iron(III) hydroxide

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 Mg is oxidized to Mg2+ ions

 Ca is oxidized to Ca2+ ions

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2NaOH + Cl2  NaCl + NaOCl + H2O

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An ore is a rock that contains enough of a metal

Ores are usually metal oxides or sulfides, which are

Sulfide ores are often roasted in air to

After a metal has been extracted

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The first step in the

The second step is to roast the copper(I) sulfide in air.

Cu2S + O2  2Cu + SO2

This is a redox reaction. What is reduced and what is

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Rather than releasing the sulfur dioxide into the

SO3 + H2SO4  2H2S2O7

H2S2O7 + H2O  2H2SO4

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Low grade copper ore is dissolved in sulfuric acid to form a

What is oxidized and what is reduced in this reaction?

What are the advantages of this method compared to

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TiO2 + 2Cl2 + 2C  TiCl4 + 2CO

Ti is then displaced from TiCl4 by a

TiCl4 + 4Na  Ti + 4NaCl

Conditions are:  temperature of 550 °C