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How does zinc metal reduce copper(II) ions in solution?
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In a reduction- oxidation reaction, zinc metal acts as a reducing agent by donating electrons to copper(II) ions. This process causes the copper(II) ions to gain electrons and become reduced to copper metal, while the zinc metal is oxidized to zinc ions.
The overall chemical reaction is:
Zn + Cu2+ → Zn2+ + Cu1
This reaction is spontaneous and has a potential of +1.10 volts under standard conditions. The zinc metal loses two electrons, and the copper(II) ion gains these two electrons. This electron transfer is characteristic of redox reactions.2314