What are oxidation and reduction?
Oxidation involves loss of electrons and reduction involves gain of electrons; the two occur together.
How it works and key principles
Electron transfer: When one species gives up electrons, another accepts them. Oxidation numbers are a bookkeeping tool for more complex reactions. Oxidation does not always mean combining with oxygen; reactions without oxygen can also be redox processes.
Evidence, examples and limits
Applications: Redox reactions at separate electrodes produce current in batteries. Corrosion, combustion and cellular respiration are different examples with different conditions and energy pathways. A battery does not simply “create electrons”: charge moves through the circuit as chemical energy is converted.
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