Creating Redox Table: Identifying Oxidizing/Reducing Agents

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around creating a redox table to identify oxidizing and reducing agents based on spontaneous reactions. Participants are exploring how to set up the table, write half-reaction equations, and determine the relative strengths of the agents involved.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about how to proceed after identifying half-reactions and agents in spontaneous reactions.
  • Another participant suggests arranging the half-reactions into reduction half-reactions and creating a list of agents based on their tendency to be reduced.
  • A specific example is provided comparing the reduction potentials of palladium and cobalt, indicating that palladium is more likely to be reduced than cobalt.
  • Participants are encouraged to compare their results with a table of reduction potentials once they have completed their analysis.
  • There is a request for verification of the explanation provided in the previous post, indicating a desire for collaborative checking of the reasoning.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants seem to agree on the general approach of identifying reduction half-reactions and comparing them, but there is uncertainty about the correctness of the steps taken and the need for verification of the explanations provided.

Contextual Notes

There is an implicit assumption that the participants are familiar with the concept of reduction potentials and how to interpret them in the context of redox reactions. The discussion does not resolve whether the suggested methods are the most effective or accurate.

Who May Find This Useful

Students working on chemistry assignments related to redox reactions, educators looking for collaborative problem-solving approaches, and anyone interested in the comparative analysis of oxidizing and reducing agents.

Alain12345
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I'm working on a chemistry assignment that involves creating redox tables. The explanation in the textbook isn't a very good one and I can't find my answer through google either :mad:

Here's the problem:

The following equations represent spontaneous reactions. From this evidence, set up a table of relative strengths of oxidizing and reducing agents. Write half-reaction equations and label the strongest oxidizing agent and reducing agent.

Co(s) + Pd2+(aq) --->spont. Co2+(aq) + Pd(s)

Pd(s) + Pt2+ (aq) --->spont. Pd2+(aq) + Pt(s)

Mg(s) + Co2+(aq) ---> spont. Mg2+(aq) + Co(s)

I know how to make the half reactions and how to identify the oxidizing agent and reducing agent in each reaction, but I'm confused about what to do after that. Thanks.
 
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Try to arrange each half reaction into REDUCTION half reactions.
Look then at your first reaction between Co and Pd. Palladium wants to be reduced more than does Cobalt.

Start making a list putting the items that want to be reduced in decreasing "want to be reduced". For the first equation and its half reactions, you would show:

Pd(+2) + 2 e ---> Pd
Co(+2) + 2 e ---> Co

Next, write the half reactions for Pd (which you already did) and of Pt. Now, how does Pt compare in relation to the first two reductions that you wrote for Pd and Co?

Continue this process.

One more thing: Did anyone tell you NOT to check in a table of reduction potentials? When you are done, you should compare your results with the positions of the half reactions in the table of reduction potentials.
 
As of the above, it's been a long time since I last saw that stuff, so someone may need to check what I said more carefully.
 
I am hoping someone can check the explanation above =).. please and thank you!~
 
Last edited:

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