Reactions of Metals with Nonmetals (Oxidation-Reduction)
- A reaction that involves a transfer of electrons is called an oxidation-reduction reaction
- There are many examples of oxidation-reduction reactions in which a metal reacts with a nonmetal to form an ionic compound
Characteristics of Oxidation-Reduction Reactions:
- When metal reacts with a nonmetal, an ionic compound is formed. The ions are formed when the metal transfers one or more electrons to the nonmetal, the metal atom becoming a cation and the nonmetal atom becoming an anion. Therefore, a metal-nonmetal reaction can always be assumed to be an oxidation-reduction reaction, which involves electron transfer
- Two nonmetals can also undergo an oxidation-reduction reaction. At this point we can recognize these cases only by looking for O2 as a reactant or product. When two nonmetals react, the compound formed is not ionic.