Oxidation-Reduction | What are some examples of oxidation?
What are some examples of oxidation?
One common example of an oxidation reaction is the one that occurs between sodium, a soft metal, and chlorine, a gas. When these elements exchange one electron, a violent reaction occurs, and a new substance, sodium chloride, is formed. We know it as the hard, white sub-stance often found on the kitchen table: salt.
Here is what happens: both sodium (Na) and chlorine gas (Cl2) are electrically neutral. When they combine, sodium undergoes oxidation, loses an electron, and becomes positively charged. Chlorine undergoes reduction and becomes negatively charged. Because atoms do not "like" to be charged, the sodium and the chlorine are attracted to their opposite charges and combine to create salt.
Oxidation reactions play an important role in many processes of modern life; the results are all around us. One of the most common places you see the results of oxidation is in...
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