How can you recognize oxidation reduction reactions?

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How can you recognize oxidation reduction reactions?

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Answer 1 · 2017-02-05T21:28:56

By a change in formal oxidation number of the participating reactants with respect to the products.

Explanation:

See this old answer for some tips and principles. Any reaction that involves a change in formal oxidation number is a redox reaction. Under this umbrella lies simple combustion reactions of hydrocarbons, e.g.:

$C H_{4} + 2 O_{2} \to C O_{2} + 2 H_{2} O$ $CH_4 + 2O_2 rarr CO_2 + 2H_2O$

We have balanced this directly with no pfaffing about with electron transfer. But we could assign oxidation numbers to the individual atoms, and use the method of half equations:

$Oxidation (i):$ $"Oxidation (i):"$
$C^{- I V} H_{4} + 2 H_{2} O \to C^{+ I V} O_{2} + 8 H^{+} + 8 e^{-}$ $C^(-IV)H_4 +2H_2O rarr C^(+IV)O_2 +8H^+ + 8e^-$

$Reduction (ii):$ $"Reduction (ii):"$
$O_{2} + 4 H^{+} + 4 e^{-} \to 2 H_{2} O^{- I I}$ $O_2 +4H^(+) +4e^(-)rarr 2H_2O^(-II)$

And we add $(i) + (ii) \times 2 :$ $"(i)" + "(ii)"xx2:$

$^{- I V} C H_{4} + 2 O_{2}^{0} \to^{- I V} C O_{2}^{- I I} + 2 H_{2}^{- I I} O$ $""^(-IV)CH_4 +2O_2^0 rarr ""^(-IV)CO_2^(-II)+2H_2^(-II)O$

To give the original equation as required.

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How can you recognize oxidation reduction reactions?

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