In simplest terms how can you tell if a substance is a reducing agent or an oxidizing agent?

Question

I'm in 11th grade so please keep the explanations understandable. Thanks!

Answer 1

a reducing agent itself gets oxidized and an oxidizing agent itself gets reduced.

Answer 2

this cant be said unless the conditions are given....substances can be reducing or oxidizing agents depending on the conditions applied to them.
however by checking the oxidation number of the element one can say whether the substance is probably reducing or oxidizing.
for example sulfuric acid has sulfur in the oxidation state of +6. this cant be increased( ie further oxidized) thus it cant be a reducing agent and hence only oxidize stuff.
slfurous acid has sulfur in oxidation state of +4 it can both oxidize and reduce stuff as +4 is neither the highest nor the lowest of oxidation states....at such places it needs to be specified what other chemical species are present in the given solution and their strenghts.
hope this answers it

Answer 3

LEO the lion says GER. Loses Electrons Oxidized Gains Electrons Reduced Equation #1 Fe goes from Fe(no charge) to Fe+3 --> each Fe loses 3 electrons so Fe is oxidized Cl goes from Cl (no charge) to Cl-1 --> each Cl gains 1 electron so Cl is reduced Oxidizing agent is substance containing the element being reduced. Cl is being reduced so Cl2 is the oxidizing agent. Reducing agent is substance containing element being oxidized. Fe is being oxidized so Fe is the reducing agent. Oxidizing and reducing agents are on left side of equation only and can be elements or compounds (ions also). Equation #2 Zn + HCl --> ZnCl2 + H2 is the correct equation Zn goes from no charge to +2 so Zn is oxidized and Zn is the reducing agent H goes from +1 to zero so it is reduced and HCl is the oxidizing agent. Clis -1 on both sides of the equation so it is neither oxidized nor reduced.

Answer 4

reducing agent donates an electron in a Redox reation.

oxidizing agent accepts electron in a Redox reation.

Answer 5

its depends on this four factors.. oxygen, hidrogen, electron and oxidation number.. if it goes +, -, -, + then it undergoes oxidation. so the substance is a reducting agent... if the four factors goes like this, -, +, +, - then it undergoes reduction. so the substance is oxidizing agent..

Answer 6

a substance is a reducting agent if it can give electron, it is oxidyzing when it can withdraw electrons