Lecture

Redox Reactions: Balancing Equations and Oxidation States

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In course

MSE-101(a): Materials:from chemistry to properties

Ce cours permet l'acquisition des notions essentielles relatives à la structure de la matière, aux équilibres et à la réactivité chimique en liaison avec les propriétés mécaniques, thermiques, électriques et magnétiques des matériaux. ...

Description

This lecture covers the principles of redox reactions, focusing on balancing equations and determining oxidation states. Starting with the definition of oxidation and reduction, it explains how to balance redox equations in both acidic and basic mediums. The instructor discusses the concept of oxidation states and provides examples of common oxidation states for different elements. The lecture also delves into the process of assigning oxidation numbers to atoms in compounds, emphasizing rules for determining the degree of oxidation. Additionally, it explores the role of electrodes in redox reactions and the formation of electrochemical cells. The session concludes with a demonstration of a galvanic cell setup using copper and zinc electrodes.

Instructor

Véronique Michaud

Background: 1994 Habilitation à diriger des recherches ( INPG, France) 1991 PhD in Materials Engineering ( MIT, USA) 1987 Ingénieur Civil des Mines ( Ecole des Mines de Paris, France) Activities: Since January 2018: Associate Dean of Engineering, in charge of Education June 2012-Dec.2017: Head of the Materials Science and Engineering Section Since April 2017: Associate Professor at EPFL 2009-2017 : Professeur Titulaire at EPFL 1997-2009: Researcher at EPFL 1994-1997 : Chef de Travaux au laboratoire MSS-MAT, Ecole Centrale Paris (France) 1991-1994 : Post-doctoral research associate, MIT (USA) Author of about 300 publications of which 140 in peer-reviewed journals

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Chemistry

Physical chemistry: Electrochemistry

Related concepts (32)

Electrochemical cell

An electrochemical cell is a device that generates electrical energy from chemical reactions. Electrical energy can also be applied to these cells to cause chemical reactions to occur. Electrochemical cells which generate an electric current are called voltaic or galvanic cells and those that generate chemical reactions, via electrolysis for example, are called electrolytic cells. Both galvanic and electrolytic cells can be thought of as having two half-cells: consisting of separate oxidation and reduction reactions.

Galvanic cell

A galvanic cell or voltaic cell, named after the scientists Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta, respectively, is an electrochemical cell in which an electric current is generated from spontaneous Oxidation-Reduction reactions. A common apparatus generally consists of two different metals, each immersed in separate beakers containing their respective metal ions in solution that are connected by a salt bridge or separated by a porous membrane. Volta was the inventor of the voltaic pile, the first electrical battery.

Electrode

An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte, a vacuum or air). Electrodes are essential parts of batteries that can consist of a variety of materials depending on the type of battery. The electrophore, invented by Johan Wilcke, was an early version of an electrode used to study static electricity. Electrodes are an essential part of any battery. The first electrochemical battery made was devised by Alessandro Volta and was aptly named the Voltaic cell.

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.

Electrochemical engineering

Electrochemical engineering is the branch of chemical engineering dealing with the technological applications of electrochemical phenomena, such as electrosynthesis of chemicals, electrowinning and refining of metals, flow batteries and fuel cells, surface modification by electrodeposition, electrochemical separations and corrosion.

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