What does oxidizing mean in science?

1 Answer
anor277
Sep 4, 2017

It means liable to cause an oxidation reaction......

Explanation:

And the two most oxidizing species are #F_2# and #O_2#...and of course the act of oxidation these species are reduced to #F^-# and #O^(2-)# ions..........

Oxidation involves the formal loss of electrons.....

#Fe rarrFe^(3+) + 3e^(-)# #(i)#

And this is a way to quantify the reaction with say dioxygen......

And for every oxidation there is a corresponding REDUCTION, here of an OXIDIZING agent, a species that accepts electrons......

#O_2+4e^(-) rarr 2O^(2-)# #(ii)#

And so we take #4xx(i) + 3xx(ii)# to eliminate the electrons......

#4Fe +3O_2rarr2Fe_2O_3 #

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