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CHAPTER 8 (redox)
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26
Chemistry
Undergraduate 3
05/09/2012

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Term
reduction
Definition
forms of matter high in energy
the opposite of oxidation, the removal of oxygen from an oxide

A LOSS OF OXYGEN ATOMS or
A GAIN OF HYDROGEN ATOMS or
A GAIN OF ELECTRONS
Term
oxidation
Definition
forms of matter low in energy
when oxygen combines with other elements or compounds

A GAIN OF OXYGEN ATOMS or
A LOSS OF HYDROGEN ATOMS or
A LOSS OF ELECTRONS
Term
oxidation number
Definition
the charge on a simple ion

an increase in oxidation number (increase in positive charge) = oxidation
a decrease in oxidation number = reduction
Term
in a redox reaction
Definition
if one substance is oxidized, the other must cause it to be oxidized
they are equal and opposite components of a reaction
Term
oxidizing agent
Definition
whatever CAUSES a substance to be oxidized - whatever is BEING reduced
Term
reducing agent
Definition
whatever CAUSES a substance to be reduced, whatever is BEING oxidized
Term
electrochemistry cells and batteries
Definition
an electric current in a wire is simply a flow of electrons

oxidation-reduction reactions in which electrons are transferred from one substance to another can be used to produce electricity (ex. dry cell and storage batteries)

by placing the reactants in separate compartments and connecting them with a wire, the electrons will flow through the wire to get from one substance to another (electrochemical cell)
Term
electrodes
Definition
the two pieces of metal where electrons are transferred in an electrochemical cell
Term
anode
Definition
the electrode where OXIDATION occurs
Term
cathode
Definition
the electrode where REDUCTION occurs
Term
dry cell
Definition
used in flashlights and many other small portable devices

zinc anode (container itself), carbon cathode rod in center of cell, space between cathode and anode contains moist paste of graphite powder, manganese dioxide, ammonium chloride. anode reaction is OXIDATION of ZINC cylinder to zinc ions, cathode reaction involves REDUCTINO of manganese dioxide
Term
battery
Definition
a collection of electrochemical cells

lead storage batteries can be recharged - discharges as it supplies electricity when you turn on the ignition to start a car or when a motor is off and the lights are on - but it is recharged when the car is moving and an electric current is supplied to the battery by the mechanical action of the car

lithium battery - extraordinarily low density and provides fairly high voltage
Term
fuel cell
Definition
(a kind of battery)
fuel is oxidized at the anode and oxygen is reduced at the cathode with 70-75% efficiency (compared to fossil fuels with 35-40% efficiency)
Term
corrosion
Definition
20% of all the iron and steel production in the US each year goes to replace corroded items

in moist air, iron is oxidized - as it is oxidized, oxygen is reduced resulting in the formation of insoluble iron II hydroxide, further getting oxidized to iron III hydroxide

oxidation and reduction often occur at separate points on the metal's surface - electrons are transferred through the iron metal
Term
aluminum's oxidation
Definition
aluminum surface reacts with oxygen in the air to form a thin layer of oxide - however, instead of being porous and flaky like iron oxide, aluminum oxide is hard, tough, and adheres strongly, protecting the metal from further oxidation
Term
silver's tarnish
Definition
tarnish on silver results from oxidation of the silver surface by hydrogen sulfide in the air from food (H2S) - producing a film of black silver sulfide (Ag2S)
Term
chemical explosions
Definition
usually based on the result of redox reactions - happen when a chemical reaction occurs rapidly and with a considerable increase in volume

a reaction of solid and/or liquid reactants that generates gaseous products involves a huge volume increase and a possibility of explosion
Term
oxygen
Definition
oxygen itself is the most common oxidizing agent

comprises almost 2/3 of our body mass

comprises about half of the accessible portion of Earth by mass

combines with many metals to form metal oxides and nonmetals to form nonmetal oxides

OZONE - is a powerful oxidizing agent and a harmful air pollutant (if low in the atmosphere)
Term
common oxidants
Definition
used as antiseptics (to living tissues), disinfectants (to nonliving things), bleaches, and play a role in many chemical syntheses

hydrogen peroxide (h2o2) is a common oxidizing agent that has the advantage of being turned into water in most reactions
Term
chlorine dioxide
Definition
substitute for elemental chlorine in the bleaching and processing of paper

reduces creation of dioxins as byproducts (carcinogens), forms fewer harmful byproducts
Term
antioxidants
Definition
certain reducing agents in food chemistry

ascorbic acid (vitamin C) - which prevents the browning of fruit by inhibiting air oxidation
Term
hydrogen as reducer
Definition
excellent reducing agent that can free many metals from their ores and reduce many chemical compounds
Term
catalyst
Definition
a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being used up - often present in redox reactions
Term
activation energy
Definition
for a chemical reaction - the minimum energy needed ot get the reaction started
Term
cellular respiration and redox
Definition
we obtain energy for all our physical and mental activities by metabolizing food through cellular respiration - where carbohydrates are OXIDIZED (in animals) and formed during photosynthesis (in plants)

in food metabolization we focus on oxidation
in photosynthesis we focus on reduction (provides food AND oxygen)
Term
oxidation number rules
Definition
an element in elemental form has na oxidation # of 0

a monatomic ion has an oxidation # equal to its charge ( we can predict normal oxidation numbers according to position in periodic table and the tendency to acquire or lose electrons to attain a complete octet.)

In compounds, we calculate the oxidation number on an atom as follows: start with the charge on the atom stripped of its valence electrons and then decrease this number by one for each electron assigned to the atom (e.g. in the Lewis electron dot structure) as follows: unshared electrons are assigned to the atom they surround. Shared electrons are assigned to the more electronegative element; if they are equally shared in a pure covalent bond between two atoms of the same element, one electron of the pair is assigned to each atom

the sum of all oxidation numbers of all atoms in a neutral molecule should be zero; the sum in a charged ion should be the charge on the ion
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