Question

a) Which of the following reagents would oxidize Fe to Fe2 , but not Sn to Sn2 ?is it Co, Br-, Ca2+, Ca, Br2, Co2+??b) Which of the following reagents would oxidize Ag to Ag , but not Cl– to Cl2?is it Ca, Br2, Co, Co2+, Ca2+. or Br-??Please help me out...I cannot figure it out. I tried to look at the standard reduction table but it does not make sense.

Answer 1

The reagent that can oxidize Fe to Fe2+ but not Sn to Sn2+ is Ca2+. The reagent that can oxidize Ag to Ag+ but not Cl− to Cl2 is Co2+.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which reagents will oxidize Fe to Fe2+ but not Sn to Sn2+, and which will oxidize Ag to Ag+ but not Cl− to Cl2, we need to consult the standard reduction potentials table and select the reagents that have reduction potentials between those of the two half-reactions. However, since you've mentioned you're having trouble with the concept, here is a more conceptual approach:

For part (a), Ca2+ can oxidize Fe to Fe2+ because it has a greater tendency to be reduced (it has a higher reduction potential) than Fe, but it cannot oxidize Sn to Sn2+ because Sn2+ has a lesser tendency to be oxidized than Fe.

For part (b), Co2+ can oxidize Ag to Ag+ because Ag+ has a lower reduction potential and is easier to oxidize compared to Cl−, which requires a stronger oxidizing agent to be converted to Cl2.