Question

Name the substances oxidised, reduced, oxidising agent and reducing agent in the following chemical reaction:

$\mathrm{CuO}+{\mathrm{H}}_2\to \mathrm{Cu}+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$

Answer 1

• Redox reaction- A reaction in which reduction and oxidation take place simultaneously is called a redox reaction.
• Oxidation is defined as-
• Addition of oxygen to a substance, removal of hydrogen from a substance, or loss of electrons.
• Oxidizing agent-
• A substance in the chemical reaction provides oxygen for the oxidation of another substance. or,
• A substance in the chemical reaction removes hydrogen from another substance for its oxidation.
• Gains electrons and is reduced in a chemical reaction.
• Reduction is defined as-
• Addition of hydrogen to a substance, removal of oxygen from a substance, or gain of electrons
• Reducing agent-
• A substance in the chemical reaction removes oxygen from another substance for its reduction.
• A substance in the chemical reaction provides its hydrogen for the reduction of another substance.
• Loses electrons and is oxidized in a chemical reaction.

• $\underset{\mathrm{Copper}\mathrm{oxide}}{\mathrm{CuO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Hydrogen}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Copper}}{\mathrm{Cu}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}$
• Copper oxide is losing oxygen to get reduced to Copper.
• Hence, there is a reduction of copper oxide.
• Copper oxide is the oxidizing agent in the reaction.
• There is the addition of oxygen to hydrogen.
• Hence, hydrogen is getting oxidized.
• Hydrogen is the reducing agent in the reaction.