• Oxidation

  • Gain of oxygen 🌬️
  • Loss of hydrogen ⚡
  • Loss of electrons 🚫🔋 (Remember as "OIL" = Oxidation Is Loss)

  Real-life example: When metals burn, they combine with oxygen to form metal oxides, like when magnesium burns and forms magnesium oxide: 2Mg(s) + O2(g) → 2MgO(s)

• Reduction

  • Loss of oxygen 🚫🌬️
  • Gain of hydrogen 💧
  • Gain of electrons 🔋 (Remember as "RIG" = Reduction Is Gain)

  Real-life example: Carbon removing oxygen from nickel(II) oxide to give you pure nickel: NiO(s) + C(s) → Ni(s) + CO(g)

Disproportionation: When one substance is both oxidized and reduced. Sounds wild, right? Think of potassium chlorate breaking down - 4KClO3(s) → 3KClO4(s) + KCl(s)

Oxidation and reduction can also happen with electron transfers.

• Lose an electron? You're oxidized!
• Gain an electron? You're reduced!

Cool example: Sodium reacting with chlorine. 2Na(s) + Cl2(g) → 2NaCl(s)

Ever noticed some glasses change color in sunlight? It’s all thanks to redox reactions!

• Ultraviolet light makes chloride ions in the lenses oxidize to chlorine atoms.
• Then silver ions in the glasses get reduced to silver atoms making the lenses dark.
• Back in the shade, copper(I) chloride reverses the process, and voila! Clear glasses again!