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Topic: Oxidation of Ethanol  (Read 2640 times)

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Offline jsmith613

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Oxidation of Ethanol
« on: May 31, 2010, 12:41:12 PM »
When we oxidise ethanol with Sulphuric acid and Potasium Dichrmate solution, we get ethanoic acid.

Why is this reaction oxidation and NOT redox?

The ethanol is oxidised
the Dichromate is reduced

so what's going on?
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Offline Borek

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Re: Oxidation of Ethanol
« Reply #1 on: May 31, 2010, 01:17:09 PM »
This is redox. But if you look just at ethanol, this is oxidation.

Similarly when we talk about corrosion we usually say "corrosion is oxidation of metal", even if obviously something gets reduced...
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Offline Schrödinger

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Re: Oxidation of Ethanol
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2010, 01:41:02 AM »
Quote from: jsmith613 on May 31, 2010, 12:41:12 PM
Why is this reaction oxidation and NOT redox?
No reaction can be just reduction or just oxidation. There's got to be both or neither of them.
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