Common oxidants and reductants
What makes a good oxidant?
A chemical that is easily reduced will normally be a good oxidant. When chemists need to oxidise a substance, there is a range of oxidants that can be used. The one thing that these oxidants have in common is the ability to gain electrons. Oxidants could, therefore, be regarded as substances that 'soak up electrons'. In the process they will form new substances where one of the elements will have a lower oxidation number.
Below is a list of common oxidants:
- oxygen (O2)
- chlorine (Cl2)
- permanganate (MnO4-)
- dichromate (Cr2O72-)
- hypochlorite (ClO-)
- concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
- nitric acid (HNO3)
In this activity three of these oxidants are shown in their original and reduced forms.
Activity: Oxidants
You are required to calculate the drop in oxidation number of the element mentioned. Type in the answer and check your response before moving to the next oxidant.
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Reductants
Reductants work in the opposite way – they are oxidised when they act as reducing agents. The following gives a list of common reductants. In the activity match the oxidised form of the species to the original form.
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Common reductantsSelect the oxidised form of the reactants from the drop down list. |
In the next section you will see some of the applications of these oxidants and reactants.
- You will have noted that some of the oxidants and reductants are acids. What does this tell you about the chemical behaviour of some of these compounds?
