identify the oxidizing agent and the reducing agent in the following reaction:
C + 2Clsub2 > CClsub4
To identify the oxidizing agent and reducing agent in a reaction, you need to determine which species gains or loses electrons. Oxidation refers to the loss of electrons, while reduction refers to the gain of electrons.
In the given reaction: C + 2Cl₂ > CCl₄
First, let's assign oxidation numbers to each element. Oxidation numbers represent the hypothetical charge that an atom would have if all bonds were completely ionic.
The oxidation number of Cl₂ is 0 because it is an element in its pure form.
The oxidation number of CCl₄ can be determined by considering carbon (C) and chlorine (Cl). Since chlorine is more electronegative, it will have a higher oxidation number. The oxidation number of CCl₄ is +4 for carbon.
By comparing the oxidation numbers of carbon (C) in the reactant (0) and product (+4), we can see that carbon has undergone oxidation, meaning it has lost electrons. Therefore, carbon is the reducing agent.
Since carbon is losing electrons, the other species must be gaining those electrons. In this case, chlorine is gaining electrons. It is going from an oxidation state of 0 to an oxidation state of -1 in CCl₄. Therefore, chlorine is the oxidizing agent.
In summary:
- The oxidizing agent is Cl₂ (chlorine gas).
- The reducing agent is C (carbon).