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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: CHOOHO on September 03, 2011, 06:20:05 PM

Title: What type of reaction is this?
Post by: CHOOHO on September 03, 2011, 06:20:05 PM

Silver nitrate solution is added to a piece of aluminum foil:
 It asked if it's either combustion, redox (no clue what redox is) or acid base. I chose redox since it's not a combustion since there is no O2 and not an acid base since there is niether an acid nor a base. I'm not quite sure how to find out the number of electrons transferred.

Title: Re: What type of reaction is this?
Post by: Borek on September 04, 2011, 04:12:00 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redox

Title: Re: What type of reaction is this?
Post by: vmelkon on September 08, 2011, 11:50:52 AM

According to that page, "A bonfire. Combustion consists of redox reactions involving free radicals."  :o

redox = reduction and oxidation.
Something gets reduced and something gets oxidized (and usually some energy is released in the form of heat).
The stuff that gets reduced gains some electrons and the oxidized one loses electrons.