Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
4Fe
+
3O
2
2Fe
2
O
3
If iron is heated in pure oxygen to the point of rapid oxidation, a temperature
high enough to melt concrete can be achieved. However, whether the oxidation
goes slowly or rapidly, the amount of heat given off in the combination of the
same amount of iron with oxygen is the same.
When oxygen is removed from a chemical compound in chemical reac-
tions, instead of being added to it, the reactions are called
. Thus,
oxidation and reduction can be considered to be opposite chemical processes.
reductions
