Reactivity

As a result of gaining or losing electrons, a species produces another species. This pair (the reactant and the product species) are referred to as a redox couple Eg: Zn 2+  + 2e -  ---> Zn Usually when one of the species in the pair is a powerful oxidising agent, the other product species will be a weak reducing agent From the above example Zn 2+  is a powerful oxidising agent. Thus it follows that Zn is a weak reducing agent (and its true because the Zn wouldn’t give up the electrons which it has gained very easily). Thus, we can arrange redox couples in a reactivity series in order of increasing oxidising/reducing power.

Non-metals gain electrons to complete their valence shell so they’re good oxidising agents.

Down the series, the element becomes more powerful oxidising agents. An element lower in the table can oxidise the ions of those elements above it in the series.

Eg: Chlorine attracts electrons more strongly than iodine. Chlorine can oxidise iodide ions- but not the reverse:

Cl 2  (aq) + 2I -  (aq) ---> I 2  (aq) + 2Cl -  (aq) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Cl 2 <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> is the oxidising agent while 2I - <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> is the reducing agent.

//<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Below is a simple redox reactivity series. (you don't need to memorize this series): //

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By the end of this lesson you should be able to: **<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">NEXT UP- VOLTAIC CELL **
 * Deduce a reactivity series based on the chemical behavior of a group of oxidizing and reducing agents.
 * Deduce the feasibility of a redox reaction from a given reactivity series
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