Fe?O? 3CO -> Fe?C?O?: Identifying the Redox Changes

Understanding redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions is crucial in chemistry. In this context, we will analyze the reaction:

Fe?O? 3CO rarr; 2Fe 3CO?

Identifying Oxidation and Reduction

The reaction given is:

Fe?O? 3CO → 2Fe 3CO?

In this reaction, ferric oxide (Fe?O?) is converted to iron (Fe), and carbon monoxide (CO) is converted to carbon dioxide (CO?). This is a prime example of a redox reaction.

Let's break down the oxidation states to identify which species is oxidized and which is reduced.

Oxidation States of Reactants and Products

Ferric oxide (Fe?O?):

Iron (Fe) in Fe?O? has an oxidation state of 3.

Carbon Monoxide (CO):

Carbon (C) in CO has an oxidation state of 2.

Iron (Fe):

Iron in the product has an oxidation state of 0 (since it is in its elemental form).

Carbon Dioxide (CO?):

Carbon (C) in CO? has an oxidation state of 4.

Analyzing the Reaction

Oxidation:

Carbon monoxide (CO) is oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO?). The oxidation state of carbon increases from 2 in CO to 4 in CO?. Therefore, carbon undergoes oxidation.

X2O1: X in CO (from 2 to 4) rarr; X in CO2

Reduction:

Ferric oxide (Fe?O?) is reduced to elemental iron (Fe). The oxidation state of iron decreases from 3 in Fe?O? to 0 in Fe, indicating that iron undergoes reduction.

X2O3: X in Fe2O3 (from 3 to 0) rarr; X in Fe

Verification of the Reaction

To ensure the reaction is balanced, we need to check both the mass and charge.

Mass Balance:

On the left side, we have:

2 Fe (from Fe?O?) 3 C (from 3 CO) 3 O (2 from Fe?O? and 1 from CO)

On the right side, we have:

2 Fe (in elemental form) 3 C (in CO?) 6 O (3 from 3 CO?)

The masses are balanced.

Charge Balance:

On the left side, we have 3 electrons (3H?, 3e?) to account for the reduction of Fe?O? to Fe.

On the right side, we have 6 electrons (6H?, 6e?) to account for the oxidation of CO to CO?.

The charge is balanced.

Therefore, the reaction is both mass and charge balanced.

Conclusion

Summarizing, the reaction Fe?O? 3CO → 2Fe 3CO? confirms that carbon monoxide (CO) is oxidized from an oxidation state of 2 to 4, while ferric oxide (Fe?O?) is reduced to elemental iron (Fe).

Key Takeaways:

The reaction involves redox changes. C is oxidized, and Fe is reduced. The mass and charge are balanced.

This reaction is a prime example to understand how oxidation and reduction work in a chemical reaction.