Redox Reactions and Concepts

These flashcards cover important vocabulary related to redox reactions, including key definitions and concepts essential for understanding the material.

Oxidation

The loss of an electron in a redox reaction.

Reduction

The gain of an electron in a redox reaction.

Oxidizing Agent/Oxidant

The species that removes electrons and is reduced in the process.

Reducing Agent/Reductant

The species that supplies electrons and is oxidized in the process.

Oxidation State

A formal bookkeeping convention to keep track of electrons during a redox reaction.

Nernst Equation

An equation used to calculate the cell potential under non-standard conditions.

Half-Reaction

A representation of either the oxidation or reduction process in a redox reaction.

Standard Reduction Potential (E°red)

The measured voltage when a half-cell reaction occurs under standard conditions.

Electromotive Force (emf)

The potential difference between two electrodes in a voltaic cell.

Gibbs Free Energy (ΔG)

A thermodynamic potential that indicates the spontaneity of a process.

Metallic Elements Oxidation States

Metallic elements can only have positive oxidation states.

Electrolytic Cells

Cells that require an external current to drive a non-spontaneous redox reaction.

Voltaic Cells

Cells where spontaneous redox reactions produce electrical energy.

Salt Bridge

A device that allows the transfer of ions between half-cells in a voltaic cell.

Balancing Redox Reactions

The process of ensuring that both mass and charge are conserved in redox equations.

Concentration Cell

A type of voltaic cell where both electrodes are the same species but at different concentrations.

Oxidation Number Rules

Guidelines for determining the oxidation state of elements in compounds.