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Chapter 20: Problem 14

(a) What is meant by the term reduction? (b) On which side of a reduction half-reaction do the electrons appear? (c) What is meant by the term reductant? (d) What is meant by the term reducing agent?

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) Reduction is a process in which a molecule, atom, or ion gains electrons occurring in redox reactions. (b) In reduction half-reactions, electrons appear on the left side of the equation. (c) A reductant is a substance in a redox reaction that reduces another substance by providing it with electrons. (d) A reducing agent is a substance that reduces another substance by donating electrons during a redox reaction and becomes oxidized in the process.

Step by step solution

01

(a) Define reduction

In chemistry, reduction is a process in which a molecule, atom, or ion gains electrons. Reduction is a half-reaction that happens at the same time as the oxidation half-reaction, as part of redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions. In redox reactions, the substance that gains electrons gets reduced while the substance that loses electrons gets oxidized.
02

(b) Where do electrons appear in reduction half-reactions

In reduction half-reactions, the electrons appear on the left side of the equation, indicating that they are gained by the molecule, atom, or ion. For example, in the reduction half-reaction: \(\ce{Cu^{2+}} + 2e^- \rightarrow \ce{Cu}\), the electrons are on the left side, showing that the copper ion gains two electrons to become a neutral copper atom.
03

(c) Define reductant

A reductant, also known as a reducing agent, is a substance in a redox reaction that reduces another substance by providing it with electrons. In other words, the reductant becomes oxidized, losing electrons and causing the other substance to become reduced by gaining those electrons.
04

(d) Define reducing agent

A reducing agent, or reductant, is a substance that reduces another substance by donating electrons during a redox reaction. The reducing agent itself becomes oxidized in the process, meaning it loses electrons while the other substance gains electrons and is reduced. Reducing agents have the ability to transfer electrons from themselves to another substance, facilitating the reduction process.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

(a) What is an electrolytic cell? (b) The negative terminal of a voltage source is connected to an electrode of an electrolytic cell. Is the electrode the anode or the cathode of the cell? Explain. (c) The electrolysis of water is often done with a small amount of sulfuric acid added to the water. What is the role of the sulfuric acid? (d) Why are active metals such as Al obtained by electrolysis using molten salts rather than aqueous solutions?

(a) What is electrolysis? (b) Are electrolysis reactions thermodynamically spontaneous? (c) What process occurs at the anode in the electrolysis of molten \(\mathrm{NaCl}\) (d) Why is sodium metal not obtained when an aqueous solution of NaCl undergoes electrolysis?

Indicate whether each statement is true or false: (a) The anode is the electrode at which oxidation takes place. (b) A voltaic cell always has a positive emf. (c) A salt bridge or permeable barrier is necessary to allow a voltaic cell to operate.

Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false: (a) If something is oxidized, it is formally losing electrons. (b) For the reaction \(\mathrm{Fe}^{3+}(a q)+\mathrm{Co}^{2+}(a q) \longrightarrow \mathrm{Fe}^{2+}(a q)+\) \(\mathrm{Co}^{3+}(a q), \mathrm{Fe}^{3+}(a q)\) is the reducing agent and \(\mathrm{Co}^{2+}(a q)\) is the oxidizing agent. (c) If there are no changes in the oxidation state of the reactants or products of a particular reaction, that reaction is not a redox reaction.

From each of the following pairs of substances, use data in Appendix E to choose the one that is the stronger oxidizing agent: $$ \begin{array}{l}{\text { (a) } \mathrm{Cl}_{2}(g) \text { or } \mathrm{Br}_{2}(l)} \\ {\text { (b) } \mathrm{Zn}^{2+}(a q) \text { or } \mathrm{Cd}^{2+}(a q)} \\ {\text { (c) } \mathrm{Cl}^{-}(a q) \text { or } \mathrm{ClO}_{3}(a q)} \\ {\text { (d) } \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{2}(a q) \text { or } \mathrm{O}_{3}(\mathrm{g})}\end{array} $$
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