Is O2 + 4e- —> 2O-2 oxidation or reduction
The reaction O2 + 4e- —> 2O-2 is a reduction reaction. This is because oxygen gains electrons and its oxidation state decreases from 0 to -2.
The reaction O2 + 4e- --> 2O-2 is a reduction reaction. In this reaction, oxygen (O2) gains four electrons (4e-) to form two oxide ions (O-2), which indicates a reduction in oxidation state.
To determine whether the given chemical reaction is an oxidation or reduction, we need to look at the changes in oxidation states of the elements involved.
Oxidation is defined as the loss of electrons, while reduction is defined as the gain of electrons.
In the given reaction: O2 + 4e- → 2O-2
We start with O2, which has an oxidation state of 0 per oxygen atom.
The electrons (4e-) are added to the O2 molecule, resulting in the formation of two O-2 ions.
In the O-2 ion, each oxygen atom has an oxidation state of -2.
Comparing the oxidation states, we can see that each oxygen atom in O2 has an oxidation state of 0, while in O-2, the oxidation state of each oxygen atom is -2.
Therefore, in this reaction, each oxygen atom gains two electrons, resulting in a decrease in oxidation state from 0 to -2. Hence, the reaction is a reduction.
So, the reaction O2 + 4e- → 2O-2 is a reduction.