Redox Reactions – Identify and Balance Oxidation and Reduction

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Redox Reaction
The term “redox” means reduction-oxidation. A redox reaction involve the transfer of electrons between two chemical species.

Redox reactions are a fundamental concept in chemistry that students encounter in high school and college. The term “redox” is a portmanteau of reduction and oxidation, which are processes that occur simultaneously. Grasping redox reactions is crucial for students because these reactions underpin various phenomena, from the rusting of iron to the generation of energy in living organisms.

What Is a Redox Reaction?

At its core, a redox reaction involves the transfer of electrons between two species. It’s a chemical dance of give and take: one species loses electrons and another gains them. This electron exchange is vital to the function of batteries, biological respiration, and even the principles behind many sensors and analytical techniques.

Redox Reactions; Oxidation and Reduction

Oxidation is the loss of electrons by a molecule, atom, or ion. Reduction is the gain of electrons. These two processes always occur together; when one species is oxidized, another is reduced. One way of remembering which is which is the mnemonic “OIL RIG”: Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain.

Redox Reactions Terminology

Oxidation Numbers

The concept of oxidation numbers (also known as oxidation states) is the key to understanding redox reactions. An oxidation number is a bookkeeping tool that keeps track of electron transfer. It is a theoretical charge on an atom in the compound composed of ions.

Here’s how to assign oxidation numbers:

  1. The oxidation number of an atom in its elemental form is always zero.
  2. For monoatomic ions, the oxidation number equals the charge of the ion.
  3. Oxygen usually has an oxidation number of -2, except in peroxides where it is -1.
  4. Hydrogen is +1 when bonded to non-metals and -1 when bonded to metals.
  5. The sum of the oxidation numbers in a neutral compound is zero. In polyatomic ions, it is the ion’s charge.

In most common reactions, the changes are between atoms in elemental form and ions in compounds.

Identifying Oxidation and Reduction

Identify which species is oxidized and which is reduced by looking at the changes in oxidation numbers. The species whose oxidation number increases is being oxidized and the one whose oxidation number decreases is being reduced.

Examples of Redox Reactions

These examples illustrate the change in oxidation numbers and demonstrate the balancing of half-reactions to achieve a balanced redox equation.

Example 1: Reaction of Hydrogen and Fluorine

Consider the reaction between hydrogen and fluorine:

H2​ + F2 ​→ 2HF

In this reaction, hydrogen is oxidized from 0 to +1, and fluorine is reduced from 0 to -1.

Here are the half-reactions for oxidation and reduction process in the reaction between hydrogen (H2​) and fluorine (F2​):

  • Oxidation half-reaction: H2​ → 2H+ + 2e−
    Here, hydrogen goes from an oxidation state of 0 to +1, losing electrons. This indicates oxidation.
  • Reduction half-reaction: F2​ + 2e− → 2F−
    In this case, fluorine goes from an oxidation state of 0 to -1, gaining electrons. This indicates reduction.

Get the balanced overall equation by combining these half-reactions, ensuring that the number of electrons lost in the oxidation half-reaction equals the number gained in the reduction half-reaction.

Example 2: Reaction of Zinc and Copper(II) Sulfate

Consider the reaction of zinc metal with copper(II) sulfate:

Zn + CuSO4 ​→ ZnSO4 ​+ Cu

Half-reactions:

  • Oxidation: Zn → Zn2+ + 2e−
    Zinc is oxidized from 0 to +2.
  • Reduction: Cu2+ + 2e− → Cu
    Copper is reduced from +2 to 0.

Combining the half-reactions, the balanced redox reaction is:

Zn + Cu2+ → Zn2+ + Cu

Example 3: Combustion of Methane

The combustion of methane (CH4​) in the presence of oxygen (O2​) is another example of a redox reaction:

CH4 ​+ 2O2 ​→ CO2​ + 2H2​O

Half-reactions:

  • Oxidation: CH4​ → CO2 ​+ 8e− + 8H+
    Carbon is oxidized from -4 to +4.
  • Reduction: O2​ + 4e− + 4H+ → 2H2​O
    Oxygen is reduced from 0 to -2.

For the half-reactions to balance, multiply the reduction half-reaction by two to match the number of electrons transferred:

  • 2 × (O2 ​+ 4e− +4H+ → 2H2​O)

The combined and balanced redox reaction is:

CH4​ +2O2 ​→ CO2​ + 2H2​O

How to Balance Redox Reactions

One method of balancing redox reactions uses the half-reaction method, which involves the following steps:

  1. Separate the reaction into two half-reactions—one for oxidation and one for reduction.
  2. Balance the elements other than oxygen and hydrogen.
  3. Balance oxygen atoms by adding water molecules.
  4. Balance hydrogen atoms by adding hydrogen ions.
  5. Balance the charge by adding electrons.
  6. Multiply the half-reactions by appropriate coefficients to equalize the number of electrons transferred in both half-reactions.
  7. Add the half-reactions together and simplify to get the balanced equation.

How to Identify Redox Reactions

A redox reaction involves changes in oxidation numbers. If there is no change in oxidation numbers, then the reaction is not a redox reaction.

To illustrate the difference, here is an example of a redox reaction and a reaction that is not a redox reaction.

Redox Reaction Example: Combustion of Propane

The combustion of propane (C3H8) in the presence of oxygen is a classic example of a redox reaction:

C3​H8​ + 5O2​ → 3CO2 ​+ 4H2​O

In this reaction:

  • Oxidation: The carbon in propane goes from a -4 oxidation state to +4 in carbon dioxide.
  • Reduction: The oxygen is reduced from 0 in O2​ to -2 in H2​O and CO2​.

Non-Redox Reaction Example: Dissolution of Sodium Chloride

The dissolution of sodium chloride (NaCl) in water is a physical change that involves the dissociation of the ionic compound into its ions but does not involve the transfer of electrons:

NaCl(s) → Na+(aq )+ Cl−(aq)

In this process:

  • There is no change in oxidation state for sodium, which remains +1, and for chlorine, which remains -1 before and after the dissolution.
  • There is no electrons transfer from one species to another; the ions simply dissociate.

Comparing the Two Reactions

In the combustion of propane, electrons transfer from the carbon atoms to the oxygen molecules. This is a hallmark of a redox reaction. However, in the dissolution of sodium chloride, there is no transfer of electrons. The sodium and chloride ions change their physical state but retain their oxidation states, characteristic of a non-redox process.

References

  • Bockris, John O’M.; Reddy, Amulya K.N. (2013) [1970]. Modern Electrochemistry. Vol. 1. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9781461574675.
  • IUPAC (1997). “Oxidation.” Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the “Gold Book”) (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications. doi:10.1351/goldbook
  • Petrucci, Ralph H.; Harwood, William S.; Herring, F. Geoffrey (2002). General Chemistry (8th ed.). Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-014329-4.
  • Pingarrón, José M.; Labuda, Ján; et al. (2020). “Terminology of electrochemical methods of analysis (IUPAC Recommendations 2019)”. Pure and Applied Chemistry. 92 (4): 641–694. doi:10.1515/pac-2018-0109