What can oxidizing agent mean?
Q: What can oxidizing agent mean?
A: Oxidizing agent can have two meanings. It can be a chemical that releases oxygen atoms or a chemical that accepts electrons from a reducing agent.
Q: Can you give an example of an oxidizing agent that releases oxygen atoms?
A: Yes, an example of an oxidizing agent that releases oxygen atoms is potassium chlorate (KClO3).
Q: What happens to potassium chlorate when it oxidizes a reducing agent?
A: When potassium chlorate oxidizes a reducing agent, such as powdered aluminium metal, it loses its oxygen to the aluminium and becomes potassium chloride (KCl).
Q: Can you give an example of an oxidizing agent that accepts electrons from a reducing agent?
A: Yes, an example of an oxidizing agent that accepts electrons from a reducing agent is potassium permanganate.
Q: What happens to potassium permanganate in an acid solution?
A: In an acid solution, potassium permanganate gains 5 electrons (e-) which takes its oxidation state from +7 to +2 as it becomes a manganese compound.
Q: Do most oxidizing agents of the second definition have oxygen?
A: Most oxidizing agents of the second definition have oxygen, but not all.
Q: Which is the most powerful oxidizing agent?
A: Fluorine (F2) is the most powerful oxidizing agent. When it acts as an oxidizing agent, it gains an electron to transfer from an oxidation state of 0 to an oxidation state of -1.
