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This I/GCSE Chemistry blog post will let us understand what oxidising agents are, let's go!
REVIEW
- Oxidation is the gain of oxygen, or the loss of electrons.
- Reduction is the loss of oxygen, or the gain of electrons.
- A oxidising agent gains electrons and becomes reduced in the process.
- A reducing agent loses electrons and becomes oxidised in the process.
OXIDISING AGENTS
- Oxidising agents
are substances that seek to gain electrons. Some examples are chlorine and concentrated nitric acid.
- Sodium is oxidised by the chlorine and chlorine is reduced by the sodium. In this reaction chlorine is an oxidising agent, and sodium is a reducing agent.
- Concentrated nitric acid is an oxidising agent.
- It will oxidise carbon to carbon dioxide. In the process it decomposes to water and nitrogen dioxide
- When two oxidising agents meet in a reaction the outcome may be predicted by reference to the activity series.
For example, both chlorine and iodine are powerful oxidising agents.
- Chlorine is lower down the activity series than iodine, so it is more ready to gain electrons.
- So, if a solution of an iodide has chlorine bubbled through it, the chlorine will replace the iodine in solution.
- But if a solution containing iodine is added to a solution containing chloride ions, nothing will happen.
- Iodine cannot oxidise chloride ions to chlorine because chlorine is the stronger oxidising agent.
That is all!
References:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fchem.libretexts.org%2FBookshelves%2FAnalytical_Chemistry%2FSupplemental_Modules_(Analytical_Chemistry)%2FElectrochemistry%2FRedox_Chemistry%2FOxidizing_and_Reducing_Agents&psig=AOvVaw3rBR2o3kjGrxkRPdeNgFUv&ust=1629528821491000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCPDeg46Cv_ICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD