How can an oxidation reaction (redox) reaction be identified?
Redox (shorthand for reduction/oxidation reaction) describes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation number (oxidation state) changed. This can be either a simple redox process such as the oxidation of carbon to yield carbon dioxide, or the reduction of carbon by hydrogen to yield methane (CH4), or it can be a complex process such as the oxidation of sugar in the human body through a series of very complex electron transfer processes. The term redox comes from the two concepts of reduction and oxidation. It can be explained in simple terms: * Oxidation describes the loss of electrons by a molecule, atom or ion * Reduction describes the gain of electrons by a molecule, atom or ion Hope this helps.
