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Half equation for oxidation of chloride ions

Federerr

What is it?

Reply 1

K-Man_PhysCheM

Original post by Federerr

What is it?

Oxidation is a loss of electrons. 2 Cl- ions will lose an electron each to form a Chlorine diatomic molecule. Don't forget to include the electrons in the equation!

Reply 2

Federerr

Original post by K-Man_PhysCheM

Oxidation is a loss of electrons. 2 Cl- ions will lose an electron each to form a Chlorine diatomic molecule. Don't forget to include the electrons in the equation!

So is it:

2Cl- - 2e- ------> Cl2

or

2Cl- + 2e- -------> Cl2

Reply 3

Infraspecies

Original post by Federerr

So is it:

2Cl- - 2e- ------> Cl2

or

2Cl- + 2e- -------> Cl2

Neither.

The second equation has no charge balancing.
The first equation isn't representative of how you write chemical equations. You don't minus anything in a chemical equation do you. In your head it should be 'This and this gives this', not 'this take away this gives this'. The way you write it isn't representative of the process at all either. It removes the implication that there are electrons that can be used by other things.

2Cl- ----> Cl2 + 2e-