Potassium, a silvery metal, reacts with bromine, a corrosive, reddish liquid, to yield potassium bromide, a white solid. Write the balanced equation, and identify the oxidizing and reducing agents.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Write the unbalanced chemical equation for the reaction: \( \text{K} + \text{Br}_2 \rightarrow \text{KBr} \).
2. Balance the equation by ensuring the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides. Start by balancing the bromine atoms: \( \text{K} + \frac{1}{2}\text{Br}_2 \rightarrow \text{KBr} \).
3. Multiply the entire equation by 2 to eliminate the fraction: \( 2\text{K} + \text{Br}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{KBr} \).
4. Identify the oxidation states of the elements before and after the reaction. Potassium (K) goes from 0 to +1, and bromine (Br) goes from 0 to -1.
5. Determine the oxidizing and reducing agents: Potassium (K) is the reducing agent because it loses electrons, and bromine (Br) is the oxidizing agent because it gains electrons.

Key Concepts

Balancing Chemical Equations

Balancing chemical equations involves ensuring that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both the reactant and product sides. This is based on the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. In this case, potassium (K) and bromine (Br) must be balanced to reflect the formation of potassium bromide (KBr).

Oxidation and Reduction

Oxidation and reduction are processes that involve the transfer of electrons between substances. Oxidation refers to the loss of electrons, while reduction refers to the gain of electrons. In the reaction between potassium and bromine, potassium is oxidized (loses electrons) and bromine is reduced (gains electrons), which is essential for identifying the oxidizing and reducing agents.

Identifying Oxidizing and Reducing Agents

The oxidizing agent is the substance that causes oxidation by accepting electrons, while the reducing agent is the substance that causes reduction by donating electrons. In the given reaction, bromine acts as the oxidizing agent because it gains electrons from potassium, which is the reducing agent as it loses electrons. Understanding these roles is crucial for analyzing redox reactions.