Question

Define oxidation and reduction in terms of (a) electron transfer and (b) oxidation numbers.

Short answer

(a) In terms of electron transfer: 1. Oxidation is the process in which an atom, ion, or molecule loses one or more electrons, resulting in an increase in its charge. 2. Reduction is the process in which an atom, ion, or molecule gains one or more electrons, resulting in a decrease in its charge. (b) In terms of oxidation numbers: 1. Oxidation is the process in which the oxidation number of an atom, ion, or molecule increases as it loses one or more electrons. 2. Reduction is the process in which the oxidation number of an atom, ion, or molecule decreases as it gains one or more electrons.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Oxidation and Reduction

Oxidation and reduction are chemical processes that involve the transfer of electrons between atoms, ions, or molecules. These reactions are also called redox reactions, where "red" stands for reduction and "ox" stands for oxidation. In these reactions, one substance (the reducing agent) loses one or more electrons, and another substance (the oxidizing agent) gains those electrons. Now we will define oxidation and reduction in terms of electron transfer and oxidation numbers.

(a) Definition in terms of Electron Transfer

In the context of electron transfer: 1. Oxidation: Oxidation is the process in which an atom, ion, or molecule loses one or more electrons, resulting in an increase in its charge. It is said that the oxidizing agent is being reduced as it gains the electrons lost by the reducing agent. 2. Reduction: Reduction is the process in which an atom, ion, or molecule gains one or more electrons, resulting in a decrease in its charge. It is said that the reducing agent is being oxidized as it loses the electrons gained by the oxidizing agent.

(b) Definition in terms of Oxidation Numbers

In the context of oxidation numbers: 1. Oxidation: Oxidation is the process in which the oxidation number of an atom, ion, or molecule increases as it loses one or more electrons. 2. Reduction: Reduction is the process in which the oxidation number of an atom, ion, or molecule decreases as it gains one or more electrons. In summary, oxidation and reduction are chemical processes related to the transfer of electrons between reactants in a redox reaction. They can be defined in terms of electron transfer, where oxidation involves losing electrons and reduction involves gaining electrons, or in terms of oxidation numbers, where oxidation results in an increase in oxidation numbers and reduction results in a decrease in oxidation numbers.