The thermodynamic feasibility of reducing a metal oxide with a reducing agent relies on coupled reac — Metallurgy and Isolation of Elements Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

For a reduction to be feasible, the overall standard Gibbs free energy change ($\Delta G^\circ$) of the coupled redox reaction must be negative. In an Ellingham diagram, this corresponds to the reducing agent's oxidation curve lying *below* the metal oxide's formation curve at that temperature.