In the reaction `4Fe+3O_2rarr4Fe^+3+6[O^-2]` which of the following statements is correct?

Options

A. It is aredox reaction
B. Metallic iron is an oxidising agent
C. `Fe^+3` is a reducing agent
D. Metallic iron is reduced to `Fe^+2`

Answer

To analyze the reaction \(4Fe + 3O_2 \rightarrow 4Fe^{3+} + 6O^{2-}\) and determine the correct statements regarding oxidation and reduction, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the oxidation states of the elements involved.
- In the reactants:
- Iron (Fe) has an oxidation state of 0 (elemental form).
- Oxygen (O) in \(O_2\) also has an oxidation state of 0.

- In the products:
- Iron (Fe) in \(Fe^{3+}\) has an oxidation state of +3.
- Oxygen (O) in \(O^{2-}\) has an oxidation state of -2.

### Step 2: Determine which species is oxidized and which is reduced.
- **Oxidation**: This is the process where a species loses electrons, resulting in an increase in oxidation state. Here, iron (Fe) goes from 0 to +3, indicating it loses electrons. Therefore, iron is oxidized.

- **Reduction**: This is the process where a species gains electrons, resulting in a decrease in oxidation state. Here, oxygen (O) goes from 0 to -2, indicating it gains electrons. Therefore, oxygen is reduced.

### Step 3: Identify the oxidizing and reducing agents.
- The **reducing agent** is the species that donates electrons and gets oxidized in the process. In this case, metallic iron (Fe) is the reducing agent because it is oxidized from 0 to +3.

- The **oxidizing agent** is the species that accepts electrons and gets reduced. In this case, oxygen (O_2) is the oxidizing agent because it is reduced from 0 to -2.

### Step 4: Conclude whether the reaction is a redox reaction.
Since both oxidation and reduction processes are occurring simultaneously, we can conclude that this is indeed a redox reaction.

### Final Summary:
- Iron (Fe) is oxidized and acts as the reducing agent.
- Oxygen (O_2) is reduced and acts as the oxidizing agent.
- Therefore, the correct statement regarding the reaction is that it is a redox reaction, with Fe being the reducing agent and O_2 being the oxidizing agent.