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Chemistry Help! (1 Viewer)

Fortify

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Hi there, can anyone explain REDOX for me?
 

ticky2002

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sikhman said:
reduction and oxidation

all i know is that reduction is gaining electrons and oxidation is losing electrons....i think.....
Yep you're right there.

We were told to remember it by: Oil Rig.

O - Oxidation
I - Is
L - Loss

R - Reduction
I - Is
G - Gain
 

Continuum

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Uhh I'll try to help. A redox reaction is basically a reduction-oxidation reaction.

In a reduction reaction, electrons are being added to an element to form a negative ion. On the other hand, in an oxidation reaction, electrons are being taken away and hence forms a positive ion. The process of reduction and oxidation occur simultaneously because the electron being added in reduction actually comes from the electron being removed in oxidation. As a result of this, they are often combined using the reduction-oxidation term or simply redox reactions.

For example, in Mg+O>MgO. Mg donates two elections and hence undergoes oxidation. The oxygen recieves these two electrons and adds it onto itself, hence it undergoes reduction.

Umm... each of the process is basically described using half equations which show one part out of the two stages in a redox reaction, in other words, one half equation would show reduction whereas another would show oxidation. It's basically breaking the whole process into two separate equations.

So taking the above example of Mg+O>MgO, the oxidation process would be described using the half equation: Mg>Mg2++2e-. On the other hand, the reduction process would be described using the half equation: O+2e->O2-.

So yeah... that's kind of a little summary of it. :p
 

jellybelly59

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well on top of what everyone else has said:

oxidation agent = substance under going reduction
reduction agent = substance under going oxidation

and as ticky said OILRIG is a great way to remember what REDOX is...

Also, my teacher says the common questions about oxidation and reduction usu. have metals being oxidised, the positive ion of the acid being reduced and finally the negative ion of the acid being the spectator.

Finally, u have to remember how to make it a full equation (when u plus the half equations) where u cross out the commons which are usually the electrons.
 

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