Oxidation and reduction are fundamental chemical processes that involve the loss and gain of electrons, respectively. For instance, a Li+ ion can be reduced to elemental lithium (Li0) by gaining an electron, while a S2- ion can be oxidized to elemental sulfur (S0) by losing two electrons. In organic compounds, reduction can also be observed through a decrease in the number of covalent bonds, such as converting a double bond to a single bond by adding hydrogen. The oxidation state is commonly monitored due to convention, but the reduction state could theoretically be tracked as well. Most chemical reactions involve these electron transfer processes. There is a discussion on whether the modeling of oxidation and reduction accurately reflects experimental observations, suggesting that the concept of oxidation states might be more about describing patterns in reactivity rather than direct measurements of charge.
