Chemistry GCSE
Reduction
What Reduction means in Chemistry GCSE, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Reduction
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Reference: AQA
The loss of oxygen in a chemical reaction, for example when iron(III) oxide loses oxygen and is reduced to iron.
The loss of oxygen from a substance, as when carbon dioxide loses oxygen in a reaction with a metal.
Occurs at the less reactive metal, which provides a surface where electrons are gained.
The loss of oxygen from a substance, which in metal extraction produces the metal.
Gaining electrons, so every cathode reaction in electrolysis is a reduction.
The gain of electrons, remembered using the acronym OILRIG.
Topics that use Reduction
- Cells and batteries (AQA GCSE)
- Extraction of metals and reduction (AQA GCSE)
- Metal oxides (AQA GCSE)
- Oxidation and reduction in terms of electrons (HT only) (AQA GCSE)
- Representation of reactions at electrodes as half equations (HT only) (AQA GCSE)
Related terms
- Oxidation
- Anode
- Balanced half equation
- Battery
- Blast furnace chemistry
- Cathode
- Cell
- Chemical versus physical separation
Using Reduction in the exam
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