Question

Identify a true statement about a redox reaction.

a. It is always nonspontaneous.
b. It involves a transfer of electrons between two species.
c. It creates electrons.
d. It involves a transfer of protons from one species to another.

Answer 1

Redox reactions entail the transfer of electrons between atoms, with changes in oxidation numbers indicating electron movement. Proton transfer is not characteristic of redox processes but is typical of other reactions, like acid-base reactions.

Step-by-step explanation:

A true statement about a redox reaction is that it involves the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, rather than the transfer of protons. In redox, or oxidation-reduction reactions, oxidation numbers or states are assigned to the atoms in order to track the movement of electrons during the reaction. For example, in the reaction between sodium and chlorine to form sodium chloride (2Na(s) + Cl₂ (g) → 2NaCl(s)), sodium atoms lose electrons (oxidation) and chlorine atoms gain electrons (reduction).

During a redox reaction, the oxidized species increases in oxidation number as it loses electrons, while the reduced species decreases in oxidation number as it gains electrons. Both the loss and gain of electrons are part of the same process, ensuring that there is a net conservation of charge.