Asked by Tjay

Based on the oxidation states of the atoms in this reaction, answer the questions.

4Fe(0) + 3O2(0) → 2Fe2(3+)O3(2-)

How many electrons does the iron half-reaction lose?

How many electrons does the oxygen half-reaction gain?

What is the total number of electrons that are moved in this oxidation-reduction reaction?

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Each Fe atom goes 0 → +3, so each loses 3 e−. For 4 Fe atoms: 4 × 3 = 12 electrons lost.

Each O atom goes 0 → −2, so each gains 2 e−. There are 6 O atoms (3 O2), so 6 × 2 = 12 electrons gained.

Total electrons transferred = 12.

(Half-reactions: 4Fe → 4Fe3+ + 12e− ; 3O2 + 12e− → 6O2−.)