Oxidation and Reduction in Chemistry
Learn about oxidation, reduction, oxidising agents, and reducing agents in chemistry with Ramdath's CSEC Chemistry Study Guide
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">How does a reducing agent affect another reactant in a chemical reaction?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">It causes another reactant to gain electrons, resulting in a decrease in the oxidation number of that reactant.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">In the reaction of magnesium burning in oxygen, which substance acts as the oxidising agent?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Oxygen acts as the oxidising agent.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">How do the definitions of oxidation and reduction evolve in chemistry?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Initially defined by oxygen and hydrogen involvement, they were later refined to focus on electron transfer and changes in oxidation number.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">How can the behavior of sulfur dioxide change in chemical reactions?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Sulfur dioxide can act as both a reducing agent and an oxidising agent, depending on the other reactants.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What change indicates the presence of a reducing agent when using acidified potassium manganate(VII) solution?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">The solution changes from purple to colourless as the manganate(VII) ion is reduced.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">How do oxidizing and reducing agents function in redox reactions?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Oxidizing agents cause other substances to lose electrons, while reducing agents cause them to gain electrons.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What determines the oxidation state of an atom in a compound?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">The oxidation state is determined by the hypothetical charge an atom would have if all bonds to atoms of different elements were completely ionic.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What is a key indicator of an oxidising agent in a test with potassium iodide solution?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">The solution changes from colourless to brown due to the oxidation of iodide ions to iodine.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What is the role of sodium sulfite and sulfur dioxide in food preservation?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">They act as reducing agents to prevent food spoilage by preventing oxidation and browning.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What determines whether a compound acts as an oxidising or reducing agent in a reaction?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">The behavior depends on the other reactant present in the reaction.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What role does an oxidising agent play in a chemical reaction?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">It causes another reactant to lose electrons, leading to an increase in the oxidation number of that reactant.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What is the significance of Antoine Lavoisier's discovery in the context of oxidation?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Lavoisier's discovery that metals combine with oxygen to form oxides laid the groundwork for defining oxidation reactions.</p>
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