A friend asks you to explain how it can be that the copper is produced by reduction,yet oxygen,the other reagent,is an oxidising agent.What would you say?
I would explain that oxidation and reduction are two sides of the same reaction. Oxidation is the loss of electrons, while reduction is the gain of electrons. In this reaction, the copper is being reduced, meaning it is gaining electrons, while the oxygen is being oxidized, meaning it is losing electrons. This is why oxygen, which is an oxidizing agent, is involved in the reaction that produces copper, which is being reduced.
