7.1 Oxidation and reduction

• As hydrogen was often used to remove oxygen, the addition of hydrogen was called reduction
• When something is oxidised, it loses electrons
• When something is reduced, it gains electrons
• If an element loses electrons, we write the electrons with a + on the right side of the equation
• If an element gains electrons, we write the electrons on the left hand side of the equation
• Oxidation is loss of electrons
• Reduction is gain of electrons
• reducing agents are electron donors
• oxidising agents are electron acceptors