Oxidation - GCSE Chemistry Definition
Reviewed by: Alexandra Brennan
Last updated
What is oxidation?
In GCSE Chemistry, oxidation can be defined as:
the gain of oxygen
the loss of electrons
When magnesium reacts with oxygen to form magnesium oxide the following reactions happens:
2Mg + O₂ → 2MgO
Magnesium is oxidised as it gains oxygen.
The magnesium atom also loses electrons to form magnesium ions:
Mg → Mg2++ 2e−
Oxidation is often seen in reactions like rusting (iron + oxygen → iron oxide) and combustion (burning fuels).
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