Oxidation and reduction

[sambob]

Please can someone explain to me exactly what oxidation and reduction are? Some books say it it the addition/removal of oxygen and hydrogen atoms but others say it is the addition/removal of ions only.

Please can someone clarify for me ?

Thanks in advance xx

[Teddio]

Oxidation is best defined as the loss of electrons and reduction as the gain of electrons. Any such chemical reaction will involve an electron donor and an electron receiver and is called a Redox Reaction. Common oxidising agents include oxygen, chlorine, potassium manganate (VII) and potassium nitrate. Common reducing agents include hydrogen, carbon monoxide and the metals; especially K, Na, Ca, Al and Zn.

[himupnorth]

Teddio is right.

In the olden days when I was a pupil we were taught thatoxidation was the gain of oxygen or loss of hydrogen and that reduction was the other way round , gain of hydrogen etc.

These dayds we use definitions which seem simpler but are in fact more extensive, as Teddio has stated.

We remember what is happening by using the mnemonic OILRIG - oxidation is loss, reduction is gain.

[Peter Pedant]

teddio and himupu are right

erm if you read your txt carefully...
most texts (at least they did in the seventies) look at some thing like iron oxidation

ferrous oxide plus oxygen goes to ferric oxide

and then point out that whenver Fe2+ -> Fe3+
there is an oxidation
and lead you to see that the impt (half) reaction is Fe2+-Fe3+ which lo and behold is an electron loss
or OIL (oxygen-is-loss) as himupnorth says

then the next chapter should go into something called Lewis acids - but that is a bit Advanced....

[Muppit]

OIL RIG

Oxidation Is Loss Reduction Is Gain

I knew I would remmeber something from those GCSE Chemistry lessons!

I hope it helps you more than it has me!