What is the reducing agent in the following reaction? 2K + S - - > K2S
K
S***
K2S
None of the above
No.
The reducing agent is the substance that loses electrons. S is 0 on the left and -2 on the right which is a gain of electrons.
so it's K?
The reducing agent in a reaction is the substance that causes another substance to be reduced, meaning it loses electrons. In the given reaction: 2K + S -> K2S, the element that is undergoing reduction is sulfur (S). Therefore, the reducing agent in this reaction is potassium (K).
To determine the reducing agent in the given reaction, we need to identify which substance is oxidized and which substance is reduced.
In this reaction, the sulfur atom starts with an oxidation state of 0 in the elemental form (S) and ends with an oxidation state of -2 in the compound form (K2S). On the other hand, the potassium atoms start with an oxidation state of 0 in the elemental form (K) and end with an oxidation state of +1 in the compound form (K2S).
Since the sulfur atom goes from an oxidation state of 0 to -2 (reduction), it is being reduced. Similarly, the potassium atoms go from an oxidation state of 0 to +1 (oxidation), so they are being oxidized.
Therefore, the reducing agent is the substance that causes the reduction, which in this case is the sulfur atom (S). Hence, the correct answer is S.