Question #b8fb3

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Question #b8fb3

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Answer 1 · 2015-08-01T21:12:31

Check the oxidation numbers — in a disproportionation reaction the same substance is simultaneously oxidized and reduced.

Explanation:

An example is the disproportionation of chlorine in basic solution.

The unbalanced equation is

${Cl}_{2} + {OH}^{-} \to {Cl}^{-} + {OCl}^{-} + H_{2} O$ $"Cl"_2 + "OH"^(-) → "Cl"^(-) + "OCl"^(-) + "H"_2"O"$ .

If you check the oxidation numbers, you will find

${0 Cl}_{2} + {OH}^{-} \to - 1 Cl^{-} + O + 1 Cl^{-} + H_{2} O$ $stackrel(color(blue)(0))("Cl")_2 + "OH"^(-) → stackrel(color(blue)(-1))("Cl")""^(-) + "O" stackrel(color(blue)(+1))("Cl")""^(-) + "H"_2"O"$ .

$Cl$ $"Cl"$ has been oxidized from $ON=0$ $"ON=0"$ to $ON=+1$ $"ON=+1"$ and reduced from $ON=0$ $"ON=0"$ to $ON = -1$ $"ON = -1"$ .

Some other examples from Socratic are the disproportionation of

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Question #b8fb3

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