Final answer:
To find the oxidation degree of a reductant, assign oxidation numbers, identify which species is the reductant, and write separate half-reactions. The reductant is oxidized thus increasing its oxidation state.
Step-by-step explanation:
Finding the Oxidation Degree of a Reductant
To find the oxidation degree of a reductant, you may follow these steps:
- Determine the oxidation state of all atoms involved in the reaction. Use the oxidation number rules to assign oxidation numbers to each atom.
- Identify which species is the reductant. The reductant, or reducing agent, will be the species that gets oxidized, meaning it will lose electrons and its oxidation number will increase.
- Plan the problem and write separate half-reactions for the oxidation and reduction processes. For the reductant, the half-reaction will show the gain in oxidation number as electrons are removed.
For example, the balanced half-reaction 2RCHO + O, illustrates the oxidation of an aldehyde to a carboxylic acid, with the aldehyde functioning as the reductant and its oxidation state increasing during the reaction.
Adjusting the Titrand's Oxidation State is critical for redox titration analysis. If Fe is in both +2 and +3 oxidation states before a redox titration, reductants are used to convert all Fe to the +