Oxidizing and Reducing Agents

[Brittney Hun 2C]

Can something be both an oxidizing and reducing agent? If so, how is that possible and would we make two separate half reactions?

[Julie_Reyes1B]

Certain substances can act as either oxidizing or reducing agents based on what the reaction is, but to my knowledge never at the same time. In all the reactions we will be given, it should be pretty clear which is being reduced and which is being oxidized. I know it is not possible for something to be both a reducing and oxidizing agent, but there are some reactions called disproportionation reactions where a substance is both oxidized and reduced in one reaction. I think this concept will be talked about in class on Wednesday or Friday, but here is a link if you're interested! http://www.chem.ucla.edu/~harding/IGOC/D/disproportionation_reaction.html

[Ashley Tran 2I]

A trick to help you remember which agent is oxidizing and which is redoing is "LEO the lion says GER"
Lose Electron Oxidize
Gain Electron Reduce

[Brian_Ho_2B]

Can something be both an oxidizing and reducing agent? If so, how is that possible and would we make two separate half reactions?

It ultimately does depend on what it’s reacting with. If it is in a galvanic cell with a metal with a higher reduction potential, then the higher potential becomes the oxidizing agent (higher reduction potential gets reduced, as the label implies) while the one with lower reduction potential gets oxidized (is the reducing agent)