How do you determine the oxidizing agent in a reaction?

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How do you determine the oxidizing agent in a reaction?

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Answer 1 · 2016-12-23T20:38:26

The oxidizing agent is the species that accepts electrons.........

Explanation:

.........and thus is the species that is reduced in a redox reaction.

If we look at, say, the combustion of coal:

$C (g) + O_{2} (g) \to C O_{2} (g)$ $C(g) +O_2(g) rarr CO_2(g)$

Zerovalent oxygen gas oxidizes zerovalent carbon to give $^{+ I V} C O_{2}^{- I I}$ $""^(+IV)CO_2^(-II)$ , in which the oxygen has been formally reduced, and the carbon formally oxidized.

And of course we can artificially split these reactions up to give separate oxidation/reduction reactions, for instance,

$N a \to N a^{+} + e^{-}$ $Na rarr Na^(+) + e^(-)$

$\frac{1}{2} C l_{2} + e^{-} \to C l^{-}$ $1/2Cl_2 +e^(-) rarr Cl^-$

And overall, we simply sum the reactions directly:

$N a + \frac{1}{2} C l_{2} \to N a^{+} C l^{-}$ $Na +1/2Cl_2 rarr Na^(+)Cl^-$

And thus, again, the oxidizing agent is the brute that accepts electrons, which here is clearly?

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How do you determine the oxidizing agent in a reaction?

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