Oxidation & Reduction in Terms of Oxygen (Oxford AQA IGCSE Chemistry)
Revision Note
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Philippa PlattExpertise
Chemistry
Oxidation & Reduction in Terms of Oxidation
Redox reactions in terms of oxygen
Oxidation and reduction take place together at the same time in the same reaction
These are called redox reactions
Oxidation is a reaction in which oxygen is added to an element or a compound
Reduction is a reaction in which oxygen is removed from an element or compound
The following reaction between zinc oxide and carbon is an example of a redox reaction:
The reaction between zinc oxide and carbon
In this reaction, the zinc oxide has been reduced since it has lost oxygen
The carbon atom has been oxidised since it has gained oxygen
In the blast furnace a reaction between iron(III) oxide and carbon monoxide takes place
This is also classed as a redox reaction
The reaction between iron(III) and carbon monoxide
Exam Tip
You must be precise about your descriptions of oxidation and reduction. In the blast furnace, it is the iron(III) oxide that is reduced and not iron. Students often get this wrong so take care to check the equation.
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