Science Literacy

Oxidation and reduction are two important concepts in chemistry that describe the transfer of electrons between atoms or molecules. Oxidation : Oxidation is the loss of electrons from an atom or molecule.  When an atom or molecule loses electrons, it becomes positively charged and is said to be oxidized.  Oxidation often involves the addition of oxygen or the removal of hydrogen from a molecule. Reduction : Reduction is the gain of electrons by an atom or molecule.  When an atom or molecule gains electrons, it becomes negatively charged and is said to be reduced.  Reduction often involves the addition of hydrogen or the removal of oxygen from a molecule. These two processes are often coupled and occur together in chemical reactions.  This is known as a redox reaction .  In a redox reaction, the species that is oxidized loses electrons to the species that is reduced, which gains electrons. A simple example of a redox reaction is the combustion of methane: ...

A compound is a substance made up of two or more different elements that are chemically bonded together.  The elements in a compound are present in a fixed ratio, and the properties of the compound are different from the properties of the individual elements.  Examples of compounds include water (H2O), salt (NaCl), and carbon dioxide (CO2).  Compounds can be classified as either organic or inorganic , depending on whether they contain carbon or not.  Organic compounds typically contain carbon-hydrogen bonds, while inorganic compounds do not.  Compounds can be formed through chemical reactions, where atoms of different elements bond together to form a new substance.  These reactions can be represented by chemical equations , which show the reactants (the starting materials) on the left side of the equation and the products (the resulting compounds) on the right side.  The number and type of atoms on each side of the equation must be the same, as req...