Need help whit iron redox

Monteiro · Post by **Monteiro** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 9:16 am

First of all, if i wrote anything wrong, feel free to correct me.

Hey guys, hope you good,
My teacher did some reactions using iron, but i didn't get everything right.
He used steel wool, hydrogen peroxide, H+ from ethanoic acid from vinegar and hypochlorite from solution.
On the first reaction he added some steel wool to a glass and added the vinegar, he explained that the iron went from Fe0 to Fe₂+, cause of the H+.

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Fe + H+ = Fe 2+ + H2

Until here i understood everything right i guess, but, in the same glass he added some hydrogen peroxide and the iron went from 2+ to 3+ but i don't get why and how.

On another glass he added some steel wool and some hypochlorite solution, straight away nothing happened, but then he adds some vinegar, and it went slowly to Fe₃+ (only got this part cause of the color), but again, don't know why and how.

He also asked the cell potential of those reactions, if someone could help with this too, would be very grateful, thanks.

ChenBeier · Post by **ChenBeier** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 10:39 am

Ok Buddy.

Iron is able to have different oxidation numbers. Basically + 2 and +3

In the First experiment iron goes from 0 to +2 by adding an acid in this case acetic acid (vinegar).

Fe + 2 H+ => Fe₂+ + H₂

In the second test he add peroxide an oxidizer The oxidation number change from +2 to + 3.

2 Fe₂+ + H₂O₂ + 2 H+ => 2 Fe₃+ + 2 H₂O

In the third experiment he used another oxidizer Hypochlorite. This is alkaline and doesn't work. By adding vinegar the solution gets acidic.

The oxidation number goes from 0 to + 3 directly.

2 Fe + 3 ClO- + 6 H+ =>2 Fe₃+ + 3 Cl- + 3 H₂O

Cell potentials can be found in tables.

Monteiro · Post by **Monteiro** » Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:44 pm

ChenBeier wrote:Ok Buddy.

Iron is able to have different oxidation numbers. Basically + 2 and +3

In the First experiment iron goes from 0 to +2 by adding an acid in this case acetic acid (vinegar).

Fe + 2 H+ => Fe₂+ + H₂

In the second test he add peroxide an oxidizer The oxidation number change from +2 to + 3.

2 Fe₂+ + H₂O₂ + 2 H+ => 2 Fe₃+ + 2 H₂O

In the third experiment he used another oxidizer Hypochlorite. This is alkaline and doesn't work. By adding vinegar the solution gets acidic.

The oxidation number goes from 0 to + 3 directly.

2 Fe + 3 ClO- + 6 H+ =>2 Fe₃+ + 3 Cl- + 3 H₂O

Cell potentials can be found in tables.

thanks buddy