oxidation

(noun)

A reaction in which the atoms of an element lose electrons and the valence of the element increases.

Related Terms

Examples of oxidation in the following topics:

  • The Battery

    • In the redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction that powers the battery, cations are reduced (electrons are added) at the cathode, while anions are oxidized (electrons are removed) at the anode.

  • Human Metabolism

    • In essence, metabolism uses an oxidation process in which the chemical potential energy of food is released.

  • Humans: Work, Energy, and Power

    • Energy consumption is directly proportional to oxygen consumption because the digestive process is basically one of oxidizing food.

  • Specific Heat for an Ideal Gas at Constant Pressure and Volume

    • He is best known for his 1841 enunciation of one of the original statements of the conservation of energy (or what is now known as one of the first versions of the first law of thermodynamics): "Energy can be neither created nor destroyed. " In 1842, Mayer described the vital chemical process now referred to as oxidation as the primary source of energy for any living creature.

  • Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming

    • On the other hand, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) are characteristically strong absorbers of the energy radiated by the Earth's surface.