Answer to Question #170603 in General Chemistry for Arvin Shopon

Question

1.

a) What do the terms oxidation and oxidant mean?

b) Investigate the changes in oxidation numbers and deduce which element oxidizes and which element acts as an oxidant in the ammonia production reaction

$N₂(g) + 3 H₂(g) --→ 2 NH3(g)$

c) In chemical applications, place the strengths of the usual oxidants in order of order, with the best oxidant being last: permanganate ion in acidic solution, chlorine gas, and oxygen dissolved in water in acidic solution.

2. Use the reaction equation to find out what happens when

a) a small piece of sodium is placed in water

b) zinc powder is added to the hydrochloric acid solution

c) silver nitrate is added to an aqueous solution of ferric nitrate

d) the silver wire is immersed in an aqueous solution of copper sulfate

(e) liquid bromine is added to an aqueous solution containing sodium chloride and sodium iodide

3. In a chemical pair, copper, and nickel are used as electrodes and sulfate solutions of metals are used as electrolytes. Use the drawing to show and explain the structure and operation of the pair, the cell diagram, the electrode reactions, and calculate the source voltage of the pair.

Answer 1

a)Oxidation is any chemical reaction that involves the moving of electrons. Specifically, it means the substance that gives away electrons is oxidized.

An oxidant is a reactant that oxidizes or removes electrons from other reactants during a redox reaction.

b) in ammonia production hydrogen acts as the oxidant

c)permanganate ion in acidic solution, chlorine gas, 

2)a)When sodium is added to water, the sodium melts to form a ball that moves around on the surface. It fizzes rapidly, and the hydrogen produced may burn with an orange flame before the sodium disappears.

b)When zinc reacts with hydrochloric acid, the reaction bubbles vigorously as hydrogen gas is produced. The production of a gas is also an indication that a chemical reaction is occurring. Zinc reacting with hydrochloric acid produces bubbles of hydrogen gas.

c)the two react forming a white precipitate.

d)When a silver is immersed in a copper sulphate solution, nothing happens. It is because silver is less reactive than copper according to the electrochemical series, so it can not displace copper from copper sulphate solution.

e)the Bromine should react with the Iodine forming Sodium Bromide crystals and Iodine gas/solid depending on the ambient temperature of the Bromine container

3)An atom is oxidized if its oxidation number increases, the reducing agent, and an atom is reduced if its oxidation number decreases, the oxidizing agent.