Absolutely, the chemical reaction given is indeed a redox reaction. To understand this, let's break it down step-by-step:
1. Identify the Reactants and Products:
- Reactants: Ethanol ([tex]\( C_2H_6O \)[/tex]) and Oxygen ([tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex]).
- Products: Carbon Dioxide ([tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex]) and Water ([tex]\( H_2O \)[/tex]).
2. Define what a Redox Reaction is:
- A redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction is a type of chemical reaction that involves a transfer of electrons between two species. An oxidation-reduction reaction is any chemical reaction in which the oxidation number of a participating chemical species changes.
3. Analyze the Oxidation States:
- In the given reaction, consider the oxidation states of the elements involved:
- Ethanol ([tex]\( C_2H_6O \)[/tex]): Carbon in ethanol generally has an oxidation state of -2.
- Oxygen ([tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex]): The diatomic oxygen molecule has an oxidation state of 0, as it is in its elemental form.
- Carbon Dioxide ([tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex]): Carbon in [tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex] has an oxidation state of +4.
- Water ([tex]\( H_2O \)[/tex]): Hydrogen has an oxidation state of +1, and oxygen has an oxidation state of -2.
4. Evaluate the Changes:
- As ethanol ([tex]\( C_2H_6O \)[/tex]) reacts, the oxidation state of carbon changes from -2 to +4 in [tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex]. This signifies that carbon has lost electrons, which means it is oxidized.
- The oxygen ([tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex]) in the reactants, having an oxidation state of 0, ends up in [tex]\( H_2O \)[/tex] and [tex]\( CO_2 \)[/tex] with an oxidation state of -2. This signifies that oxygen has gained electrons, meaning it is reduced.
5. Conclusion:
- Since the reaction involves both the oxidation of ethanol to carbon dioxide and the reduction of oxygen to water, it is a redox reaction.
Therefore, the statement that the given chemical reaction is a redox reaction is True.
