Question

Define oxidation and oxidising agent.

Answer 1

Oxidation:

• Oxidation is the process of the addition of oxygen or the removal of hydrogen from a substance.
• It happens when a chemical species loses electrons.
• Example for oxidation:

$\underset{\mathrm{Magnesium}}{2\mathrm{Mg}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{oxide}}{2\mathrm{MgO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$

In this reaction, oxygen is added to magnesium, and magnesium is oxidized to magnesium oxide.

Oxidizing agent:

• An oxidizing agent is a substance that oxidizes other substances involved in the reaction by gaining or accepting electrons from them.
• It is also referred to as an oxidizer or oxidant.
• Common examples of oxidizing agents are oxygen (${\mathrm{O}}_2$), hydrogen peroxide (${\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_2$), and halogens (chlorine $\left(\mathrm{Cl}\right)$, fluorine $\left(\mathrm{F}\right)$, etc.).