Oxidizing & Reducing Agents

[Janice Xiao 1I]

What exactly are oxidizing and reducing agents?

[miznaakbar]

Oxidizing agents are the species being reduced, or gaining electrons. Oxidizing agents cause another species to go through oxidation, or electron loss; the oxidizing agent thus gains the electrons the other species lost (which is why it is reduced)

Reducing agents are the species being oxidized, or losing electrons. Reducing agents cause another species to go through reduction, or electron gain; the reducing agent thus loses the electrons that will be gained by the other species (which is why it is oxidized). Hope this helps!

[Lisa Tang 1C]

The species that causes oxidation is the oxidizing agent. It accepts electrons released by the species being oxidized. The oxidation agent in a redox reaction gets reduced. The species that brings about reduction is the reducing agent. It supplies electrons to the species being reduced. The reducing agent in a redox reaction gets reduced.
So, for Zn(s) + Cu²⁺(aq) --> Zn²⁺(aq) + Cu(s), the oxidation number of zinc changes from 0 to +2. The oxidation number of copper goes from +2 to 0. In this case, zinc is oxidized and the metal is the reducing agent. Copper is reduced, and the copper ions are the oxidizing agent.
Hope this helps.

[Nancy Le - 1F]

Oxidizing agents are the species that is reduced, or gaining electrons, because the oxidation number is being decreased. The reducing agents are the species that is oxidized, or losing electrons, because the oxidation number is being increased.

[Brandon Fujii 1K]

In the image below, the Reducing Agent (A) is oxidized because it loses its electrons. The Oxidizing Agent (B) is reduced because it gains electrons.

[Irma Ramos 2I]

When remembering which one is the reducing agent and which one is the oxidizing agent, it's safe to say that the oxidizing agent is one being reduced and the reducing agent is the one being oxidized. This may be confusing at first, but hope it helps.

[Phillip Winters 2F]

The reducing agent is the molecule that causes the other molecule to be reduced, meaning that it is oxidized, and the oxidizing agent is the molecule that causes the other molecule to be oxidized, meaning that is reduced