Wtf this makes no sense. help me PLEASE with this question on reduction/oxidation
Favorites|Homepage
Subscriptions | sitemap
HOME > > Wtf this makes no sense. help me PLEASE with this question on reduction/oxidation

Wtf this makes no sense. help me PLEASE with this question on reduction/oxidation

[From: ] [author: ] [Date: 12-05-15] [Hit: ]
10 points best answer!!-In redox chemistry, dont worry about how many moles are reacting with what. Oxidation state of K in KCl should be just +1 (cation has 1+ charge).Yes youre right that K has oxidation number of 0.......
i think the answer is 2 but if the oxidation state of the 2K is 2+ in the reactants side and the 2K in the products side is 0, how can it GAIN electrons? i can see that it is being reduced, but doesnt reduction mean a gain of electrons? i am SUPER confused.

2. In the reaction 2KCl(L) → 2K(s) + Cl2(g), the K+ ions are

(1) reduced by losing electrons
(2) reduced by gaining electrons
(3) oxidized by losing electrons
(4) oxidized by gaining electrons

thank you so much! 10 points best answer!!

-
In redox chemistry, don't worry about how many moles are reacting with what. Oxidation state of K in KCl should be just +1 (cation has 1+ charge).

Yes you're right that K has oxidation number of 0.

So what has happened is that the K has GAINED electrons (remember electrons give a negative charge - I think this was your confusion). So the more electrons something has, the lower it's Oxidation Number.

You may be thinking "if K is a cation - why does it GAIN electrons? Don't cations lose them?" They do.

With this reaction you have to pump a HUGE amount of electricity to separate the salt. This is why table salt is so stable. It takes a large amount of electricity to break the ionic bonds and there's also entropy to consider but I won't worry about that.

It is also the reason we can't easily make hydrogen from water. It requires a large amount of electricity

-
When a species gains electrons, its oxidation state is reduced. K goes from a +1 state in KCl to a neutral state (0) in K(s). It gained an electron, which is a negative charge, and that reduced its positive charge to neutral.

-
http://www.kentchemistry.com/links/Redox…

more redox links
http://www.kentchemistry.com/links/Redox…
1
keywords: help,this,Wtf,no,oxidation,with,makes,sense,me,question,reduction,on,PLEASE,Wtf this makes no sense. help me PLEASE with this question on reduction/oxidation
New
Hot
© 2008-2010 http://www.science-mathematics.com . Program by zplan cms. Theme by wukong .