Tricks for remembering Redox/Electrochemistry

[The_Sunny_Doc]

Would anyone like to share their tricks for keeping electrochemistry concepts straight? I know about OIL RIG, but am still having trouble with identifying the reductant/reducing agent/which one gets reduced etc with all those different ways of referring to the compounds in a redox reaction equation. Would be very grateful for a little help with this concept. 🙂

Was also wondering if you might have any tips for keeping the "reducing potential"/"oxidizing potential" concepts straight in your mind? It get intermingled with the physics concepts, like potential difference, in my mind. The chemistry portion of charge and currents is harder to grasp, perhaps because it is more quantitative. Many thanks in advance.

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[gettheleadout]

The two electrochemical animals: a red cat and an ox. Reduction occurs at the cathode, oxidation occurs at the anode.

Reducing agents enable reducing to occur, so if something else is being reduced and thus gaining electrons, these agents must be donating the electrons and thus are undergoing oxidation. Reducing agents are oxidized, oxidizing agents are reduced.

Reduction potential is the potential to undergo reduction; if something has a high reduction potential, it can easily undergo reduction, i.e. easily be reduced.

 

[The Kraken]

The two electrochemical animals: a red cat and an ox. Reduction occurs at the cathode, oxidation occurs at the anode.

Reducing agents enable reducing to occur, so if something else is being reduced and thus losing electrons, these agents must be accepting the electrons and thus are undergoing oxidation. Reducing agents are oxidized, oxidizing agents are reduced.

Reduction potential is the potential to undergo reduction; if something has a high reduction potential, it can easily undergo reduction, i.e. easily be reduced.

Have you taken the mcat yet? Im awaiting your 40.

 

[gettheleadout]

Have you taken the mcat yet? Im awaiting your 40.

August 16th! Haha we'll see.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

The two electrochemical animals: a red cat and an ox. Reduction occurs at the cathode, oxidation occurs at the anode.

Reducing agents enable reducing to occur, so if something else is being reduced and thus losing electrons, these agents must be accepting the electrons and thus are undergoing oxidation. Reducing agents are oxidized, oxidizing agents are reduced.

Reduction potential is the potential to undergo reduction; if something has a high reduction potential, it can easily undergo reduction, i.e. easily be reduced.

Thank you for summing it up so concisely! 👍 It just clicked. You rock!

 

[FeinMS]

The two electrochemical animals: a red cat and an ox. Reduction occurs at the cathode, oxidation occurs at the anode.

Reducing agents enable reducing to occur, so if something else is being reduced and thus losing electrons, these agents must be accepting the electrons and thus are undergoing oxidation. Reducing agents are oxidized, oxidizing agents are reduced.

Reduction potential is the potential to undergo reduction; if something has a high reduction potential, it can easily undergo reduction, i.e. easily be reduced.

Shouldn't it be "reduced and thus gaining electrons" and "losing the electrons and thus are undergoing oxidation?😕

 

[gettheleadout]

Shouldn't it be "reduced and thus gaining electrons" and "losing the electrons and thus are undergoing oxidation?😕

Whoooops haha, I promise I wasn't thinking that even if it's what I typed. Fixing now.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

Thank you for the correction, csdanum. 🙂 You do seem on top of your stuff, gettheleadout!

Is there a diffeence between the voltage (Ecell) in an electrochemical cell, and the voltage in a circuit? Why do they cell it "cell potential" in chemistry and "potential difference" and "electromotive force" in physics? Finally, why do we use tables for "reducing potential" and "oxidizing potential" in chemistry, but not in physics? There's some connection I'm not seeing.