Test 2 Q6

[Tim Foster 2A]

How do you identify the oxidizing and reducing agents for the redox couple
O3/O2 and OH- and O3, H+/02 ?

[Michelle Steinberg2J]

First, I found the two half reactions on the list provided at the back of the test. I then flipped the reaction with the lower voltage (making it an oxidation half reaction because there must be one oxidation and one reduction) and that told me that the O3/O2, OH- is the oxidation half reaction. An oxidizing agent is what is being reduced and a reducing agent is what is being oxidized. Thus, O3 is being reduced (it is the more positive half reaction that we did NOT flip) and O2 is being oxidized (we originally flipped the half reaction to make it oxidation). O3 is being reduced, so it is the oxidizing agent and O2 is being oxidized, so it is the reducing agent.

Hopefully this makes sense! If not, I can try to better explain my thought process.

[Gwen Peng 1L]

First, I found the two half reactions on the list provided at the back of the test. I then flipped the reaction with the lower voltage (making it an oxidation half reaction because there must be one oxidation and one reduction) and that told me that the O3/O2, OH- is the oxidation half reaction. An oxidizing agent is what is being reduced and a reducing agent is what is being oxidized. Thus, O3 is being reduced (it is the more positive half reaction that we did NOT flip) and O2 is being oxidized (we originally flipped the half reaction to make it oxidation). O3 is being reduced, so it is the oxidizing agent and O2 is being oxidized, so it is the reducing agent.

Hopefully this makes sense! If not, I can try to better explain my thought process.

Your explanation is pretty clear, but could you explain why you chose to flip the reaction with the lower voltage to make it the oxidation half reaction? And how did you know O3 was being reduced since it was the more positive reaction that wasn't flipped?

[Gurkriti Ahluwalia 1K]

i remember hearing something like "the more positive the positive the potential the more likely it will be reduced" in biology. is this the same principle perhaps??

[Michelle Steinberg2J]

First, I found the two half reactions on the list provided at the back of the test. I then flipped the reaction with the lower voltage (making it an oxidation half reaction because there must be one oxidation and one reduction) and that told me that the O3/O2, OH- is the oxidation half reaction. An oxidizing agent is what is being reduced and a reducing agent is what is being oxidized. Thus, O3 is being reduced (it is the more positive half reaction that we did NOT flip) and O2 is being oxidized (we originally flipped the half reaction to make it oxidation). O3 is being reduced, so it is the oxidizing agent and O2 is being oxidized, so it is the reducing agent.

Hopefully this makes sense! If not, I can try to better explain my thought process.

Your explanation is pretty clear, but could you explain why you chose to flip the reaction with the lower voltage to make it the oxidation half reaction? And how did you know O3 was being reduced since it was the more positive reaction that wasn't flipped?

You always want to achieve a positive voltage, so flipping the more negative, or value closer to zero, will give you a more positive voltage. When we flip, we know that O2 has to be undergoing oxidation, thus reducing agent. O3 is the equation that is NOT flipped, so it stays as reduction, and is therefore the oxidizing agent.