The Redox Process Of Batteries

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Batteries are such common things. We require batteries in the day to day life and it is an inevitable part of our daily life. Innumerable devices run on batteries such as clocks, mobile phones, cars, flashlight, etc. Batteries have the potential to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. However, do you know redox reaction powers a battery? Electron transfer reactions take place inside a cell which is the basic principle by which a batter/cell is made. Redox reaction is a type of chemical reaction. A chemical reaction involves process change that happens when to or more molecules react with one another and result in the formation of a new product. In this article more about redox reactions with respect to electron transfer reactions. …show more content…

This process is called redox process. Now let us understand the definition of oxidation and reduction according to electron transfer. Oxidation in Terms of Electro Transfer Reaction Oxidation is the process in which group of atoms or a single atom of a chemical reaction loses one or more electrons. Thus, oxidation results in the loss of electrons and increase in the positive charge of a species or decrease in the negative charge of the species. For example Reducing agents or reductants are the species of a compound that undergoes electron loss during a chemical reaction. According to the example given above, Cl-, Fe2+, and Cu are reductants. Reduction in terms of Electron Transfer Reaction A reduction is the process in which an atom or a group of it participating in a chemical reaction gains electrons. Gaining of electrons decreases the positive charge and increases the negative charge of the participating species. For example Oxidizing agents or oxidants are the species undergoing gain of electrons during a chemical reaction. According to the above example of reactions, Ag+, Fe3+ ions, and Br2 molecules are the oxidants. Redox …show more content…

Therefore, it can be said that if a substance will lose an electron, there must be a substance which will gain electrons. This is because electrons cannot be the final product in any chemical reaction. Hence, it implies that in a specific process or a reaction oxidation will occur when there will be a simultaneous reduction and vice versa. Thus, it signifies that oxidation and reduction are complementary processes and neither of them can occur alone. This is the reason for naming this kind of chemical reaction as redox

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