In redox reactions, what happens to the oxidation state of a transition metal wh
Practice Questions
Q1
In redox reactions, what happens to the oxidation state of a transition metal when it acts as a reducing agent?
It increases
It decreases
It remains the same
It becomes zero
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In redox reactions, what happens to the oxidation state of a transition metal when it acts as a reducing agent?
Step 1: Understand what a reducing agent is. A reducing agent is a substance that donates electrons to another substance.
Step 2: Identify the role of the transition metal in the reaction. When it acts as a reducing agent, it loses electrons.
Step 3: Recognize that losing electrons means the transition metal's oxidation state decreases. Oxidation state is a number that represents the total number of electrons an atom can lose, gain, or share.
Step 4: Conclude that when the transition metal donates electrons, its oxidation state goes down.
