Question

Identify the oxidizing agent (oxidant) in the following reactions : $\mathrm{CuO}+{\mathrm{H}}_2\to \mathrm{Cu}+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$

Answer 1

Oxidizing agent:

• An oxidizing agent is known as a chemical species which oxidizes the other substances by reducing itself in the chemical reaction.
• An oxidizing agent increases the oxidation state of the oxidized substance by making it to lose electrons, while the oxidizing agent decreases its oxidation state by gaining the electron.

Identifying the oxidizing agent in the given reaction:

• In the given reaction Copper oxide reacts with hydrogen to form Copper metal and water.
• The balanced chemical reaction can be written as:

$\stackrel{+2}{\underset{\mathrm{Copper}\mathrm{oxide}}{\mathrm{CuO}}}+\stackrel{0}{\underset{\mathrm{Hydrogen}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2}}\to \stackrel{0}{\underset{\mathrm{Copper}}{\mathrm{Cu}}}+\stackrel{+2}{\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}}}$

• In the above-given reaction, $\mathrm{CuO}$ is acting as an oxidizing agent, in which there is a decrease in the oxidation state of copper from $+2\mathrm{to}0.$
• Copper oxide oxidizes the ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ to Water by increasing the oxidation state of hydrogen from $0\mathrm{to}+2$.

Hence, $\mathrm{CuO}$ is an oxidizing agent in the given reaction.