In the following chemical reaction "zinc oxide reacts with carbon to produce zinc metal and carbon monoxide.
`ZnO+C rarrZn + CO`
Which of the following statement is correct ?

Options

A. Oxidation is loss of electrons and reduction is gain of electrons.
B. Oxidation is gain of electrons and reduction is loss of electrons.
C. Oxidation is loss of protons and reduction is gain electrons.
D. Oxidation is loss of electrons and reduction is gain protons.

Answer

To determine which statement is correct regarding the reaction of zinc oxide with carbon, we need to analyze the reaction step by step.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Reaction**: The given reaction is:
\[ \text{ZnO} + \text{C} \rightarrow \text{Zn} + \text{CO} \]

2. **Determine Oxidation States**:
- In zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc (Zn) has an oxidation state of +2 and oxygen (O) has an oxidation state of -2.
- In carbon (C), the oxidation state is 0 (elemental form).
- In zinc (Zn), the oxidation state is 0 (elemental form).
- In carbon monoxide (CO), carbon (C) has an oxidation state of +2 and oxygen (O) has an oxidation state of -2.

3. **Identify Oxidation and Reduction**:
- **Oxidation**: This is the process where an element loses electrons, resulting in an increase in oxidation state.
- Carbon (C) goes from 0 in elemental form to +2 in CO, indicating it loses electrons and is oxidized.
- **Reduction**: This is the process where an element gains electrons, resulting in a decrease in oxidation state.
- Zinc (Zn) goes from +2 in ZnO to 0 in elemental zinc, indicating it gains electrons and is reduced.

4. **Conclusion on Redox Reaction**:
- Since carbon is oxidized (loses electrons) and zinc is reduced (gains electrons), this reaction is indeed a redox reaction.

5. **Evaluate the Statements**:
- Based on the analysis:
- The statement about oxidation being the loss of electrons is correct.
- The statement about reduction being the gain of electrons is also correct.
- Any statement suggesting otherwise is incorrect.

### Final Answer:
The correct statement regarding the reaction is that it is a redox reaction where carbon is oxidized and zinc is reduced.