CHEM 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Oxidizing Agent, Reducing Agent, Faraday Constant

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Chemistry
• Course: CHEM 1A03
• Professor: David Brock

Document Summary

Lose them more readily than species with a more positive oxidation number. Oxidation numbers of atoms may change over a course of a reaction. If one species loses, another one will gain: reduction, oxidation reaction has taken place (redox, electrons have to go somewhere. Calculate oxidation numbers to determine which gets oxidized, which gets reduced. Reducing agent causes something to be reduced gets oxidized itself. Oxidizing agent causes something to be oxidized gets reduced itself: always on the reactant side of the equation. Famous redox reaction thermite reaction exothermic: spot welds tracks together, classic redox reaction building railway across. Canada, no portable welding equipment: ignite a mixture of iron 3 oxide with aluminum, producing iron and aluminum oxide, fe2o3(s) + 2al(s) 2fe(l) + If under acidic conditions: balance o by adding h2o then h by h+ If under basic conditions: balance as if acidic conditions, then add oh- to balance the h+ (making water), then cancel the h2o.