The term oxidation-reduction reaction actually refers to two chemical reactions that always occur at the same time: oxidation and reduction. Oxidation-reduction reactions are also referred to more simply as redox reactions. Oxidation, reduction, and redox reactions can all be defined in two ways.
The simpler definitions refer to reactions involving some form of oxygen. As an example, pure iron can be produced from iron oxide in a blast furnace by the following reaction:
3 C + 2 Fe2O3 4 Fe + 3 CO2
...Source: Encyclopedia of Science, ©2005 Gale Cengage. All Rights Reserved. Full copyright.
(The entire page is 1129 words.)
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