Oxidation

Oxidation is a chemical process in which a substance loses electrons. It occurs alongside reduction in a redox reaction and often involves gaining oxygen or losing hydrogen.

Reduction: A chemical process in which a substance gains electrons, lowering its oxidation state. Every oxidation is paired with reduction as electrons move between substances.
Rust: A mixture of hydrated iron oxides formed by corrosion of iron. Rust is a visible product of iron oxidation in the presence of water and oxygen.
Electron: A negatively charged subatomic particle found in atoms and chemical bonds. Oxidation is defined by the loss of this particle.
Antoine Lavoisier: An eighteenth-century French chemist who established oxygen's role in combustion and helped create modern chemical nomenclature. His oxygen-based account of combustion shaped the original meaning of oxidation.
Reduction–oxidation reaction: A reaction in which oxidation and reduction occur together through electron transfer or equivalent changes in oxidation state. The paired process prevents oxidation from being mistaken for an isolated electron loss.
Oxidation state: A formal charge assigned to an atom by treating its bonds as ionic. An increase in oxidation state tracks electron loss, even when no free electrons appear.
Combustion: A rapid chemical reaction, usually with oxygen, that releases heat and often light. Burning is a familiar oxidation process that releases energy.
Chemical bond: An attractive interaction that holds atoms or ions together in a substance. Changes in bonding often accompany oxidation, though electron loss is the defining criterion.
Phlogiston theory: An obsolete theory that explained combustion as the release of a substance called phlogiston. Lavoisier's oxygen chemistry displaced this earlier explanation of burning.
Acid–base reaction: A reaction involving transfer of protons or formation of bonds between acids and bases. Unlike oxidation, proton transfer alone does not require a change in oxidation state.

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