Oxidation is the process and effect of oxidizing.
Oxidation comes from oxygen. And it must be emphasized that this word comes from Greek, specifically from the sum of two components of that language: "oxys", which can be translated as "acid", and "genos", which is equivalent to "produce".
Oxidation is the process and result of oxidizing . This verb refers to generating rust from a chemical reaction . Rust , on the other hand, is what is produced when oxygen combines with a metal or with elements known as metalloids .
What happens in oxidation
When the oxidation of an ion or an atom occurs, the element in question loses a certain amount of electrons . Considered a system, oxidation implies that one of the elements releases electrons and that another assimilates them. In this way, what occurs is a transfer of electrons .
The element that grants the electrons is known as the reducing agent and is what is oxidized. The oxidizing agent , on the other hand, keeps the electrons that the reducer releases. While the oxidation state of the former increases, the oxidation state of the latter decreases.
With oxidation, an atom or ion loses electrons.
Classification according to type
No less important is to establish that there are basically two types of oxidation:
• Slow oxidation, which is produced by water or air and causes metals to lose their shine while causing corrosion.
• Rapid oxidation, which occurs when combustion has taken place, releasing significant levels of heat. It usually occurs, fundamentally, in elements that contain hydrogen or carbon.
Oxidation number
It should be noted that chemical elements have an oxidation number . All elements have an apparent charge within the compounds, which tends to obey the octet rule (a tendency that indicates how ions tend to behave).
According to this rule, atoms usually have 8 electrons in the outermost energy level. If an atom X requires 5 electrons to obey the octet rule, its oxidation number will be 5- . On the other hand, if an atom Y has the 5 electrons that must be provided to ensure that atom X respects the aforementioned law, its oxidation number will be 5+ .
We cannot ignore the concept of oxidation state. This term is used to refer to the indicator that establishes the degree of oxidation of an atom that is part of a chemical substance or a specific compound.
Reduction and redox reaction
It must be said that the totally opposite reaction to oxidation is reduction. And it is defined by being one in which the chemical species in question is responsible for accepting electrons.
In the same way, we must not forget what is known as the reduction-oxidation reaction. This is a chemical reaction in which a change in oxidation states occurs. And all because one or more of the electrons proceed to transfer between the existing reactants.