Potassium dichromate () acts as an extremely potent oxidising agent primarily in acidic environments — d and f Block Elements Chemistry Question
Question
Potassium dichromate ($K_2Cr_2O_7$) acts as an extremely potent oxidising agent primarily in acidic environments. During a complete reduction half-reaction where it acts upon a reducing agent, what is the absolute integer difference in the formal oxidation state of a single Chromium atom as it converts completely to its final stable product?
💡 Solution & Explanation
In the reactant $K_2Cr_2O_7$, the oxidation state of Chromium is mathematically $+6$. During its oxidising action in acidic media, the dichromate ion ($Cr_2O_7^{2-}$) eagerly accepts electrons to form stable, green Chromium(III) cations ($Cr^{3+}$), where the oxidation state is definitively $+3$. The absolute integer difference between the initial and final states is strictly $ | (+6) - (+3) | = 3$.