oksüdatsiooniprotsessis

Oksüdatsiooniprotsess is the Estonian term for oxidation process. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that involves the loss of electrons by a substance. In essence, it is the increase in the oxidation state of an atom, molecule, or ion. This process often occurs when a substance reacts with oxygen, hence the name, but it can also happen with other oxidizing agents.

During oxidation, a substance loses electrons, while another substance gains them, a process known as reduction. These two processes, oxidation and reduction, always occur together and are collectively referred to as redox reactions. A simple example is the rusting of iron. Iron atoms lose electrons to oxygen atoms, forming iron oxides.

Oxidation plays a crucial role in many natural and industrial processes. For instance, respiration in living organisms is a complex series of oxidation reactions that release energy from food molecules. Combustion, the rapid reaction between a substance with an oxidant, usually oxygen, to produce heat and light, is another common example of oxidation. In industrial chemistry, oxidation is used in processes such as the production of sulfuric acid and the refining of metals. Understanding oxidation is fundamental to chemistry and has wide-ranging applications.