What happens during redox reactions?

1 Answer
anor277
Mar 24, 2018

Stuff....

Explanation:

And by stuff we mean #"FORMAL ELECTRON TRANSFER...."#

We conceive of #"oxidation"# as the formal loss of electrons...and typically, metals, electron-rich substances, are oxidized...

#Mg(s) rarr Mg^(2+) + 2e^(-)# #(i)#

Electrons are included as particles of convenience.

And #"reduction"# is the FORMAL gain of electrons, and typically, non-metals, elements from the right hand side of the Periodic Table as we face it, with HIGH nuclear charge, are reduced...

#1/2O_2+2e^(-) rarr O^(2-)# #(ii)#

We add the two equations together in such a way that the electrons, as formal particles, are ELIMINATED...#(i)+(ii)# gives...

#Mg(s) +1/2O_2 rarr MgO(s)#

And see this [old answer and links...](https://socratic.org/questions/what-is-oxidation-number-write-it-s-uses)

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