In a simple reaction like this, it’s easy to track the transfer of 1 electron. Given what we’ve just learned about redox reactions, we can now say that because sodium loses an electron, it is oxidized, and because the chlorine gains an electron, it is reduced. We know that sodium chloride is an ionic compound, which means sodium has transferred an electron to chlorine to form bulk Na plus and Cl minus. Let’s walk through a redox reaction with a familiar product, sodium chloride, which can be formed from sodium metal and chlorine gas. This terminology can often be confusing, so you definitely want to get comfortable with it. Similarly, the species that is reduced is called the oxidizing agent because it takes the electrons for oxidation to occur. Thus, the species that has been oxidized is also called the reducing agent because it provides the electrons for reduction. When a chemical species is oxidized, it loses electrons and those electrons have to go somewhere, so they go to reducing another chemical species. There’s no such thing as just an oxidation reaction. Oxidation and reduction reactions are always paired. A simple mnemonic to remember this is OIL-RIG: Oxidized Is Lost, Reduced Is Gained. When something is oxidized, it has lost electrons and when something is reduced, it has gained electrons. Redox reactions are titled as such because during the reaction one chemical species is oxidized while another is simultaneously reduced. Let’s start by understanding the terminology. So, quite literally, you are surrounded by them. Even your own cells generate energy through redox reactions. The pesky rust on your car is also formed through a redox reaction. When you burn propane in your barbecue, that combustion reaction is a redox reaction. These reactions involve the transfer of electrons between chemical species and are ubiquitous in nature and synthetic chemistry. Hi, and welcome to this video on oxidation–reduction reactions (or redox reactions, for short).
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