Oxidizing/Reducing Agent

[Jessica Chen 2C]

How do you identify the oxidizing agent or the reducing agent? Is it typically on the left or right side of a chemical reaction?

[Eileen Si 1G]

The oxidizing agent is what is being reduced in the reaction, so it gains electrons, while the reducing agent is being oxidized so it loses electrons. One way to identify which is which is by looking at the initial and final oxidation numbers of an element. If the oxidation number is greater in the product, then that element is oxidized and has lost electrons, so it is the reducing agent. On the other hand, if the oxidation number decreases in an element, than that element can be identified as the oxidizing agent.

[charleejohnson1L]

to easily identify the oxidizing and reducing agents, you just remember that they're backwards! the reducing agent is the thing being oxidized, and the oxidizing agent is the thing being reduced. as long as you can determine the oxidization and reduction half-reactions, determining the oxidizing and reducing agents are going to be simple. I hope this helps! :)

[Vicki Liu 2L]

Another way to think about it that may make sense is that the oxidizing agent is what causes something to be oxidized. To do this, it would have to gain the electron and thus is reduced. On the other hand, the reducing agent is what causes something to be reduced and therefore, has to give up an electron to do so.

[sarahforman_Dis2I]

How do you identify the oxidizing agent or the reducing agent? Is it typically on the left or right side of a chemical reaction?

From my experience, the reducing agent isn't always on one side of the equation. Rather, the reducing agent is the species that is being oxidized. I think of the reducing agent as the chemical that tends to bring about reduction by losing its electrons. The reducing agent allows for reduction to happen because it loses its electrons. The opposite is true for the oxidizing agent. I hope that this helps!

[Shail Avasthi 2C]

The oxidizing agent is the compound that becomes reduced. The reducing agent is the compound that becomes oxidized. I remember it this way: The reducing agent is the compound that starts off reduced and causes the other compound to become oxidized. The oxidizing agent is the compound that starts off oxidized and causes the other compound to become oxidized.

[Jack Riley 4f]

the oxidizing agent gains electrons and the reducing agent loses electrons

[Mandeep Garcha 2H]

I just wanted ti share a diagram that helped me differentiate between the two!

Link: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/df/8e/6e ... 30c443.jpg

[Aarushi Solanki 4F]

The oxidizing agent gets reduced, which means that it gains electrons. The reducing agent gets oxidized, which means that it loses electrons.