e reaction below is a redox reaction that produces zinc sulfide:

Zn+S→ZnS

The half-reactions can be written:

Oxidation:Zn→Zn2++2e−Reduction:S+2e−→S2−
n the reaction above, zinc is being oxidized by losing electrons. However, there must be another substance present that
gains those electrons and in this case that is the sulfur. In other words, the sulfur is causing the zinc to be oxidized. Sulfur
is called the oxidizing agent. The zinc causes the sulfur to gain electrons and become reduced and so the zinc is called
the reducing agent. The oxidizing agent is a substance that causes oxidation by accepting electrons; therefore, its
oxidation state decreases. The reducing agent is a substance that causes reduction by losing electrons; therefore its
oxidation state increases. The simplest way to think of this is that the oxidizing agent is the substance that is reduced,
while the reducing agent is the substance that is oxidized as shown in Figure 8.2.1 and summarized in Table 8.2.1

Figure 8.2.1 A reducing agent is oxidized and an oxidizing agent is reduced.

Note
Both the oxidizing and reducing agents are the reactants and therefore appear on the left-hand side of an
equation.

Table 8.2.1
: A Comparison of Oxidizing and Reducing Agents.
Oxidizing Agents Reducing Agents
Oxidation State Decreases Increases
# of Electrons Gained Lost
Substance is... Reduced Oxidized

he examples below show how to analyze a redox reaction and identify oxidizing and reducing agents.

Example 8.2.1

Half-equations
When chlorine gas is bubbled into a solution of sodium bromide, a reaction occurs which produces aqueous
sodium chloride and bromine. Determine what is being oxidized and what is being reduced. Identify the
oxidizing and reducing agents.

Cl2(g)+2NaBr(aq)→2NaCl(aq)+Br2(l)

Solution:

Step 1: Plan the problem.

Break the reaction down into a net ionic equation and then into half-reactions. The substance that loses electrons
is being oxidized and is the reducing agent. The substance that gains electrons is being reduced and is the
oxidizing agent.

Step 2: Solve.
Cl2(g)+2Na+(aq)

+2Br−(aq)Cl2(g)+2Br−(aq)→2Na+(aq)+2Cl−(aq)+Br2(l)→2Cl−(aq)+Br2(l)(net ionic equation)

Reduction:Cl2(g)+2e−→2Cl−(aq)Oxidation:2Br−(aq)→Br2(l)+2e−

The Cl2

is being reduced and is the oxidizing agent. The Br−

is being oxidized and is the reducing agent.

Exercise 8.2.1

: Half-equations

Write the following reaction in the form of half-equations. Identify each half-equation as an oxidation or a
reduction. Also identify the oxidizing agent and the reducing agent in the overall reaction

Zn+2Fe3+⟶Zn2++2Fe2+

Answer

The half-equations are Zn⟶Zn2++2e− oxidation—loss of electrons

2e−+2Fe3+⟶2Fe2+ reduction—gain of electrons

Zinc has been oxidized, the oxidizing agent must have been the other reactant, namely, iron(III).

Iron(III) ion has been reduced, the zinc must be the reducing agent.
Example 8.2.2

: Identify reducing and oxidizing agents

Identify the reducing and oxidizing agents in the balanced redox reaction:

Cl2(aq)+2Br−(aq)→2Cl−(aq)+Br2(aq)

Oxidation half reaction

2Br−(aq)→Br2(aq)

Oxidation States: -1 to 0

Reduction Half Reaction

Cl2(aq)→2Cl−(aq)

Oxidation States: 0 to -1

Overview

 Br- loses an electron; it is oxidized from Br- to Br2; thus, Br- is the reducing agent.
 Cl2 gains one electron; it is reduced from Cl2 to 2 Cl-; thus, Cl2 is the oxidizing agent.

 Identify the oxidizing agent and the reducing agent in the following redox reaction:
 MnO−4+SO2−3→Mn2++SO2−4

 Solution

 S
 is the reducing agent and Mn is the oxidizing agent.
  An oxidizing agent is a substance that causes oxidation by accepting electrons; therefore, it gets
reduced.
  A reducing agent is a substance that causes reduction by losing electrons; therefore it gets oxidized.
  Examples of how to identify oxidizing and reducing agents are shown.

NOTE:

The oxidation state of an uncombined element is zero. That's obviously so, because it hasn't been either oxidised or
reduced yet! This applies whatever the structure of the element - whether it is, for example, Xe or Cl 2 or S8, or whether it
has a giant structure like carbon or silicon.