Oxidising and Reducing Agents

Oxidising and Reducing Agents

Understanding Oxidation and Reduction

• Oxidation is the process where an atom, ion or molecule loses electrons.
• Reduction on the other hand, is where an atom, ion or molecule gains electrons.
• These two processes always occur together in a redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction.

Oxidising Agents

• An oxidising agent is a substance that causes oxidation by accepting electrons from another substance.
• As an oxidising agent accepts electrons, it itself gets reduced.
• Common examples of oxidising agents include oxygen, hydrogen peroxide and the halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine).

Reducing Agents

• A reducing agent causes reduction by providing electrons to another substance.
• As a reducing agent donates electrons, it gets oxidised.
• Common reducing agents include hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and metals such as sodium, magnesium, and iron.

Balancing Redox Reactions

• In a balanced redox equation, the total number of electrons lost in the oxidation half-reaction is equal to the total number gained in the reduction half-reaction.
• The use of oxidation numbers can help identify which atoms have been oxidised or reduced in the reaction.
• Redox reactions play a key role in many chemical processes, including electrochemical reactions, combustion, and photosynthesis.

Interpretation of Oxidising and Reducing Agents

• Understanding the role of oxidising and reducing agents is important in studying numerous chemical reactions.
• An agent’s ability to either accept or donate electrons impacts the course of the reaction and the products formed.
• The more reactive an element is as an oxidising or reducing agent, the greater its redox potential, which can be quantitively measured in a process called electrochemical titration.
• Recognising oxidising and reducing agents in a redox reaction aids in predicting the products, estimating the energy change, and understanding the feasibility of the reaction under certain conditions.