Oxidation is a chemical process which involves :
i. combination with oxygen or other electronegative
elements (electron attractor elements).
ii. removal of hydrogen or any other electropositive
element (electron donor elements) from a compound.
iii. increase in valency of metal atom in a compound.
iv. increase in the proportion of an electronegative element
or group and decrease in the proportion of
electropositive element in a compound.
v. increase in oxidation no. (the no. of charges) of an
element.
vi. loss of electrons.
Electronegative elements ® S, Cl, Br, I, N, O, etc.
Electropositive elements ® Fe, Cu, Na, K, etc.
Examples
i. 2Cu + O2 ® 2CuO
ii. 2Mg + O2 ® 2MgO
iii. Mg + Cl2 ® MgCl2
iv. 4HCl + MnO2 ® 2H2O + MnCl2 + Cl2
v. 2SO2 + O2 ® 2SO3
vi. 2Mg + O2 ® 2MgO
. It is a substance which can supply oxygen
or any other electronegative element and can remove
hydrogen or an electropositive element from a compound.
Modern definition of an oxidizing agent is a
substance which has the capacity to gain electrons.
is an oxidizing agent
Following types of elements and compounds are
oxidizing agents :
1. Most of the non-metals except C, H and P.
2. All ic-salts of metals – FeCl3, Fe2(SO4)3, CuSO4 5H2O,
CuCl2, HgCl2, HgSO4
3. Oxides and higher oxides of metals – CuO, Fe2O3,
NaO2
4. KMnO4, HClO, HClO2, HClO3, HClO4, HNO3,
K2Cr2O7
