Lecture

Redox Reactions: Balancing and Terminology

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In course

CH-160(en): Advanced general chemistry (english)

This course aims to teach essential notions of the structure of matter, chemical equilibria and reactivity. Classes and exercises provide the means to analyze and solve, by reasoning and calculation, novel problems of geeneral chemistry. ...

Description

This lecture covers redox reactions, where oxidation and reduction occur simultaneously. It explains the roles of reducing and oxidizing agents, half reactions, redox couples, and how to balance redox reactions in both acidic and basic solutions. The instructor also introduces chemical thermodynamics, focusing on energy changes in chemical reactions and predicting spontaneity.

Instructors (2)

Thomas Rizzo

EDUCATION Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1983 B.S., Chemistry, cum laude, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1978 ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS Dean, Faculty of Basic Sciences, EPFL, 2004-present Head, Department of Chemistry, EPFL, 1997-2004 Professor of Chemistry, EPFL, 1994-present Professor of Chemistry, University of Rochester, 1993-1994 Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Rochester, 1986-1992 Research Associate, The James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, 1984-1986

Samuel Terrettaz

Teaching & PhD Courses Advanced general chemistry CH-160(f) This course aims at the acquisition of essential notions on the structure of matter, chemical equilibria and reactivity. Theoretical teaching and exercise provide the methodology to analyze and solve by reasoning and calculation novel problems of general chemistry. Advanced general chemistry CH-160(g) This course aims at the acquisition of essential notions on the structure of matter, chemical equilibria and reactivi

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Thermodynamics: Statistical mechanics

Related concepts (32)

Redox

Redox (ˈrɛdɒks , ˈriːdɒks , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a decrease in the oxidation state. There are two classes of redox reactions: Electron-transfer – Only one (usually) electron flows from the atom being oxidized to the atom that is reduced. This type of redox reaction is often discussed in terms of redox couples and electrode potentials.

Chemical thermodynamics

Chemical thermodynamics is the study of the interrelation of heat and work with chemical reactions or with physical changes of state within the confines of the laws of thermodynamics. Chemical thermodynamics involves not only laboratory measurements of various thermodynamic properties, but also the application of mathematical methods to the study of chemical questions and the spontaneity of processes. The structure of chemical thermodynamics is based on the first two laws of thermodynamics.

Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws of thermodynamics which convey a quantitative description using measurable macroscopic physical quantities, but may be explained in terms of microscopic constituents by statistical mechanics.

Reducing agent

In chemistry, a reducing agent (also known as a reductant, reducer, or electron donor) is a chemical species that "donates" an electron to an (called the , , , or ). Examples of substances that are common reducing agents include the alkali metals, formic acid, oxalic acid, and sulfite compounds. In their pre-reaction states, reducers have extra electrons (that is, they are by themselves reduced) and oxidizers lack electrons (that is, they are by themselves oxidized). This is commonly expressed in terms of their oxidation states.

Oxidizing agent

An oxidizing agent (also known as an oxidant, oxidizer, electron recipient, or electron acceptor) is a substance in a redox chemical reaction that gains or "accepts"/"receives" an electron from a (called the , , or ). In other words, an oxidizer is any substance that oxidizes another substance. The oxidation state, which describes the degree of loss of electrons, of the oxidizer decreases while that of the reductant increases; this is expressed by saying that oxidizers "undergo reduction" and "are reduced" while reducers "undergo oxidation" and "are oxidized".

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