4.5 - Oxidation and reduction involving oxygen

4.5 - Oxidation and reduction involving oxygen

Track oxygen through reactions to identify oxidation and reduction. You will learn to name the substance that changes and explain whether it gains or loses oxygen.

Gain and loss of oxygen

Oxidation and reduction involving oxygen

Oxidation is gain of oxygen. Reduction is loss of oxygen.

For example, magnesium is oxidised when it burns:

Plain text
2Mg + O₂ → 2MgO

Magnesium gains oxygen and forms magnesium oxide. To explain oxidation, name the starting substance and link it to oxygen gain.

Reduction reverses this kind of oxygen change. In the reaction below, copper(II) oxide loses oxygen and is reduced to copper:

Plain text
CuO + H₂ → Cu + H₂O

Hydrogen gains that oxygen and forms water, so hydrogen is oxidised. Oxygen has been transferred, not destroyed. Copper(II) oxide is the substance reduced; copper is its product.

Follow both reactants

Consider the reaction of copper(II) oxide with carbon on heating:

Plain text
2CuO + C → 2Cu + CO₂
ReactantOxygen changeRedox change
Copper(II) oxideLoses oxygen to form copperReduced
CarbonGains oxygen to form carbon dioxideOxidised

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