Identifying Oxidizing and Reducing Agents

In a redox reaction, the substance that gets oxidized (loses electrons) is called the reducing agent, and the substance that gets reduced (gains electrons) is called the oxidizing agent.

Steps to identify oxidizing and reducing agents:

1. Write down the oxidation states of all elements in the reaction.
2. Identify which elements have increased in oxidation state (oxidized) and which have decreased (reduced).
3. The element that is oxidized is part of the reducing agent, and the element that is reduced is part of the oxidizing agent.

Example: In the reaction between zinc and copper(II) sulfate:

Zn + CuSO₄ → ZnSO₄ + Cu

Zinc (Zn) is oxidized from 0 to +2 oxidation state, so Zn is the reducing agent. Copper (Cu) is reduced from +2 to 0 oxidation state, so CuSO₄ is the oxidizing agent.