When copper oxide is heated with hydrogen, copper metal and water are formed. What happens to the copper oxide in this reaction?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

RRB JE CBT I - (Held On: 31 May 2019 Shift 1)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Reduced

Key Points

When copper oxide is heated with hydrogen, it undergoes a chemical reaction.
In this reaction, copper oxide is reduced to copper metal.
Hydrogen acts as the reducing agent, and it itself gets oxidized to water.
This type of reaction is a classic example of a redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction.

Additional Information

Reduction is the process in which an element gains electrons.
Oxidation is the process in which an element loses electrons.
In the given reaction, copper oxide (CuO) gains electrons from hydrogen and is reduced to copper (Cu).
Simultaneously, hydrogen (H₂) loses electrons and is oxidized to form water (H₂O).
The overall chemical equation for the reaction is: CuO + H₂ → Cu + H₂O.