Question

Explain the effects of oxidation reactions in everyday life.

Answer 1

The two major oxidation reactions taking place in our day to day life are corrosion of metals and rancidity of food items.

Complete Solution :
Let us study these two major oxidation reactions and their respective effects;
1. Corrosion of metals-
When a metal is being attacked by the substances around it as moisture, water, air, acids, etc.; this process of degradation of the metals is known as corrosion of metals.
The most common form of corrosion is rusting of iron. The iron is covered by a thin layer of reddish-brown powder which is known as rust. The iron is being oxidised when left in the environment in contact of air and other substances as,
$4Fe+3{{O}_{2}}+2x{{H}_{2}}O\to 2F{{e}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}.x{{H}_{2}}O$

The black coating on silver and green coating on copper are also the popular examples of corrosion.
Corrosion causes damage to many personal and governmental properties. A large amount of money is invested every year to overcome the losses caused by corrosion.

2. Rancidity of foods-
When fats and oils present in our food items get oxidised, they are said to be rancid. Rancidity means the spoilage caused to the food items making it undesirable for consumption. The smell and taste of food items changes when oxidised.
This is unsafe and usual for human consumption as many food-borne diseases can be caused due to intake of rancid food. We can prevent rancidity by adding anti-oxidants into the packed food items and keeping them in refrigerators.

Note: Rancidity can also be provided by storing food away from light and in air-tight containers. Mainly, rancidity is observed in edible oils as they are prone to oxidation.
- Whereas, corrosion causes a huge loss in public investment for the materialistic items.