Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: blah44 on May 29, 2008, 12:23:43 PM
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im soo confused!lol i totaly suck at chemistry!! can anyone help me identify which of these is a redox equation and why! i totaly do not get it!
Q. which is a redox reaction?
A) Mg + 2HCl = MgCl2 + H2
b) MgO + 2HCl = MgCl2 + H2O
c)MgCO3 + 2HCl = MgCl2 + H20 + CO2
d)Mg)OH)2 + 2HCl = MgCl2 + 2H2O
can anyone help with the answer and how you work it out?
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Approach 1:
3 of the reactions are of the same type and they are not redox reaction. Can you identify this reaction? Therefore the odd one out reaction must be a redox.
Approach 2:
Check for oxidation states.
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You might (I say will) understand this topic if you work diligently through the following
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/redoxmenu.html
Then come back to your questions
Clive
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thank you for your replies, i know the answer is A but i am still unsure as to how to properly work it out,how do you check oxidation states? and what type of reactions are the other 3?
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Calculating oxidation numbers (http://www.chembuddy.com/?left=balancing-stoichiometry&right=oxidation-numbers-method).
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thank you for your replies, i know the answer is A but i am still unsure as to how to properly work it out,how do you check oxidation states? and what type of reactions are the other 3?
Hi,
I'm interested in your response.
I recommend the chemguide a lot because I feel it explains topics very well - as does Borek's very detailed Chem Buddy.
In the 23 minutes between me posting the URL and you posting a reply, was none of the information in chemguide any help to you understanding the meaning of redox or how to apply it to your question? Do you think any of the information provided is or might be relevant to the equations you have written? Then we can work from there
Clive
Separately:
I feel until the concept of oxidation and reduction is understood in terms of electron exchange, there is no point talking about oxidation numbers. However, to tackle the question you do need the concept of oxidation numbers but its not the first step.