To balance redox reactions, we must first understand how to assign oxidation numbers. Once we understand how to do that, the next thing is to remember the following rules on how to balance redox …
How to identify redox reactions
To identify a redox reaction, we must first calculate the oxidation number of each atom in the reaction. If there is a change in oxidation number, then the reaction is a redox reaction. If there is no …
How to determine empirical formula from combustion analysis
In combustion analysis, we usually burn an organic compound in oxygen to convert the carbon in the compound to carbon dioxide and the hydrogen to water. The carbon dioxide produced as a result of the …
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Energy: how does it behave and what laws govern its behavior?
Energy as we know it is mysterious, and it is the driving force behind all physical events in the universe. Robert Mayer, a German medical doctor who proposed the concept of energy, believed that …
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How did Einstein explain the photoelectric effect?
Back then (in the 1900s) scientists saw that when light of certain frequency and energy shines on a light sensitive (photosensitive) metal, the metal emitted electrons, generating an electric current …
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How Bohr explanation of the hydrogen line emission spectrum led to the quantum mechanical model of the atom
A spectrum is the ‘picture’ you get when light interacts with atoms or molecules. A spectrum is usually a plot of how much light is absorbed or emitted versus the wavelength or frequency of light. For …