Redox reactions stand for oxidation/reduction reactions. True or false: an oxidation reaction is always paired with a reduction reaction.

The answer is: true

Explanation:

In redox reactions, the half-reactions of oxidation and reduction always occur simultaneously in pair.

The oxidation half-reaction involved the lost of electrons from a reduced substance (A) to form a oxidized substance (A⁺):

A ⇒ A⁺ + e-

In contrapossition, during the reduction half-reaction the oxidized substance (B⁺) gains electrons to form the reduced subtance (B):

B⁺ + e- ⇒ B

The overall redox reaction is obtained by the addition of the two half-reactions:

A ⇒ A⁺ + e-

B⁺ + e- ⇒ B

A + B⁺⇒ A⁺ + B

The electrons gained by B are provided by A, which lost the same number of electrons. Thus, the oxidation/reduction reactions are paired.