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!

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References:

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