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Answer:
- Oxidizing agent: An oxidising agent is an element that gains electrons, and since the oxidising agent gains electrons, it is said to have been reduced because reduction is the addition of electrons and oxidation is the loss of electrons. As a result, an oxidising agent is an element that reduces or undergoes reduction.
Consider the following illustration.
2Mg+O2→2MgO
As can be seen in the preceding reaction, O2 is reduced by losing oxygen atoms, and as a result, O2 serves while an oxidising agent as it undergoes reduction.
- Reducing agent: A reducing agent is an element that loses electrons, and because reducing agents lose electrons, it is said to have been oxidised because oxidation is the loss of electrons. As a result, the reducing agent is the element that is oxidised or undergoes oxidation.
- Consider the following illustration.
4NH3+5O2→4NO+6H2O
The nitrogen atom in ammonia is oxidised into nitric oxide (NO) in the above reaction by obtaining an oxygen atom. Because it undergoes oxidation and gains oxygen atoms, NH3 is a reducing agent.
