Balancing Redox Equations
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Re: Balancing Redox Equations
It depends on the oxidation number of the element. If there is an increase in the oxidation number, oxidation is occurring. If there is a decrease in the oxidation number, reduction is occurring. Other, more obvious things to look out for include the gain or loss of protons and oxygen.
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Re: Balancing Redox Equations
Components that gain electrons are being reduced, and components that are losing electrons are being oxidized.
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Re: Balancing Redox Equations
A good acronym to remember is LEO: losing electrons - oxidation.
A compound undergoes reduction if it gains electrons, and undergoes oxidation if it loses electrons.
You can tell by looking at the oxidation number of the element in the compound; if the oxidation number increases, then its charge became more positive and it oxidized because it lost electrons (lost negative charge). If the oxidation number decreases, the element was reduced because it gained electrons (more negative charge).
A compound undergoes reduction if it gains electrons, and undergoes oxidation if it loses electrons.
You can tell by looking at the oxidation number of the element in the compound; if the oxidation number increases, then its charge became more positive and it oxidized because it lost electrons (lost negative charge). If the oxidation number decreases, the element was reduced because it gained electrons (more negative charge).
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Re: Balancing Redox Equations
You can tell by comparing the charges of the element as a reactant and as a product. The charges are either given directly in the chemical equation (like Fe +2) or are calculated (like with MnO4, which has an overall charge of -1, Mn is calculated to have a charge of +7 since the four oxygen atoms have a total charge of -8). If an atom ends up having a more negative charge, it means that it gained more electrons and that it's gone through a reduction. If an element ends up with a more positive charge after the reaction, it has lost electrons and therefore went through oxidation.
It's a bit confusing but just remember the the phrase LEO says GER (LEO: Loss of Electrons is Oxidation; GER: Gain of Electrons is Reduction)
It's a bit confusing but just remember the the phrase LEO says GER (LEO: Loss of Electrons is Oxidation; GER: Gain of Electrons is Reduction)
Re: Balancing Redox Equations
I remember with the acronym OIL RIG.
OIL: oxidation is losing elections
RIG: reduction is gaining elections
OIL: oxidation is losing elections
RIG: reduction is gaining elections
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Re: Balancing Redox Equations
depends if the compound is gaining or losing electrons which you can identify by calculating the charge for each.
Remember, LEO and GER :)
Also Oxidizing agents and Reducting agents are not the compounds that are reduced or oxidized, but the ones that cause the oxidation or reduction for the other compound.
Remember, LEO and GER :)
Also Oxidizing agents and Reducting agents are not the compounds that are reduced or oxidized, but the ones that cause the oxidation or reduction for the other compound.
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Re: Balancing Redox Equations
There's three ways you can tell. One way is to assign oxidation numbers which is really easy and you can find the steps online and see which element's oxidation number is lowered, which is the element being reduced or the number that is raised which is the element that is oxidized. Another short way is to see which compound gains an oxygen. The metal in that compound would then be oxidized. The last method is using the chart to see which element is oxidized or reduced based on the equations.
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