Reduction

Have you ever wondered about the rationale behind the formation of rust? It is the result of the reduction process. The reduction process is helpful in several ways, such as reducing ores to obtain the metals from the ores, producing electromagnetic cells, and converting amino acids into nitric acid. It becomes essential to understand the concept of reduction as reduction can be a benefit and a disadvantage in the case of the formation of rust. Let us know the meaning and concept of reduction to begin with. 

What is Reduction?  

The concept of reduction is defined as the process that results in the gaining of electrons or a decrease in the oxidation level due to the transfer of electrons between species. The reaction involves increasing the number of electrons associated with a single atom. The reduction concept can also be considered a combined reaction involving 2 halves or parts. The first part of the reaction involves the gaining of electrons, and the second part of the reaction requires oxidation or the loss of electrons. When these two reactions are combined, they result in a redox reaction which is a reduction excluded of oxidation. 

Causes of Reduction  

Now that we’ve looked into the concept of reduction and the definition, let us understand the causes:

• The addition of discharged electrons to the atoms by removing oxygen

• When a carbon atom bonds with a less electronegative element, it reduces reactions.

Reduction reactions occur in these circumstances, which may lead to the formation of metals from metal oxides or vice versa. 

Example of Reduction 

There are several examples of the concept of reduction. One of them is the formation of rust. Rust is formed when oxygen reacts with iron, which gets oxidised to form rust. The process of rusting comprises both reduction and oxidation. Iron is oxidised when the oxygen level or atoms are reduced. The extraction of iron ore is another example of reduction reactions. And this is represented by the following equation.  

Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3 CO2

 Iron oxide undergoes reduction by losing electrons which leads to iron formation. At the same time, carbon monoxide undergoes oxidation and gains oxygen to form carbon dioxide. Here, iron oxide is the oxidising agent, i.e., it provides oxygen to another molecule, and carbon monoxide is the reducing agent, which removes oxygen from a chemical species. 

Another similar example is copper (II) oxide and magnesium oxide. The following equation represents this reaction –

Cu2+ + Mg → Cu + Mg2+

Like iron oxide, copper ions undergo reduction to form copper, and magnesium undergoes reduction to form 2+ cation. Magnesium helps reduce copper ions by lending 2 electrons, thereby acting as the reducing agent. And copper ion is the oxidising agent that gains electrons to form copper. 

Difference between Reduction and Oxidation 

According to the concept of reduction, the primary difference between reduction and oxidation is the gain or loss of electrons. Reduction reactions occur when there is a gain of electrons by the reactant element/atom or species. Contrary to this, oxidation is the loss of electrons by the reactant element during the reaction. 

In reduction reactions, there is a gain of hydrogen, whereas, in oxidation, there is a loss of hydrogen. Reduction reactions result in the storage of energy, and on the other hand, oxidation results in the release of energy. Some of the best-reducing agents are metals such as iron, etc. Some of the best oxidising elements are  Bleach, peroxide, etc. So, in short, after the reduction reaction, there will be a decrease in the oxidation number. On the other hand, after oxidation reactions increase the oxidation number. These are some of the key differences between reduction and oxidation reactions. 

Conclusion 

It becomes essential to understand the concept of reduction as it impacts obtaining metals through redox, i.e. reduction and oxidation reactions. This is crucial to obtain and convert several metal oxides to form metals. Reduction occurs mainly because of the gaining of electrons, and this can happen even in the simplest reactions, such as the burning of wood. Oxygen acts as the oxidising agent, whereas carbon assumes the role of the reducing agent to remove oxygen from the wood during combustion. All these reactions are essential to our day-to-day life, and thus, this makes it essential to understand the process and concept of reduction.