Monday, February 27, 2012

Which of these reactions are redox reactions?

The commercial production of nitric acid involves the following chemical reactions: 




My students and I came across this and were stumped. Oxidation is always accompanied by reduction - so I was taught. These reactions appear to only have oxidation, where is the reduction? These steps are from the Ostwald process for producing HNO3 

1) 4NH3 + 5O2 ---> 4NO + 6H2O 
2) 2NO + O2 ---> 2 NO2 
3)3NO2 + H2O ---> 2HNO3 + NO 


step 1 shows oxidation of nitrogen from 3- to 2+ and reduction of oxygen from 0 to 2- 

step 2 shows oxidation of nitrogen from 2+ to 4+ and reduction of oxygen from 0 to 2- 

step 3 shows both oxidation and reduction of nitrogen, as you have indicated. 

1 comments:

  1. I think conversion of nitrogen and oxygen reaction is a oxidation reaction.It includes both oxidation and reduction.

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