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Chemistry vocabulary · Reactions and Equations

Reduction

Meaning in chemistry, with examples

nounCore term

In chemistry, reduction means: A change in which a substance gains electrons, so its oxidation number goes down. It often involves losing oxygen or gaining hydrogen.

In Turkish: indirgenme, redüksiyon

How it is used

The partner of oxidation in every redox reaction. In metallurgy ores are reduced to metals; in organic labs ketones are reduced to alcohols with reagents such as sodium borohydride. The substance that causes it is the reducing agent.

Example sentences

  1. Reduction of copper oxide with hydrogen gives copper metal and water.

  2. The reduction of the ketone was complete after one hour.

Common collocations

  • reducing agent
  • reduction of
  • undergo reduction
  • reduction potential
  • oxidationA change in which a substance loses electrons, so its oxidation number goes up. It often involves gaining oxygen or losing hydrogen.
  • redox reactionA reaction in which electrons move from one substance to another, so that one substance is oxidized while another is reduced at the same time.
  • electronA tiny particle with a negative charge that moves around the nucleus of an atom. Chemical bonds and reactions are mostly about how these particles are shared or transferred.

More terms: Reactions and Equations

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