Question

A decade or two ago, the exhaust coming from many smoke stacks of factories and power plants looked brown (and ugly), because it contained NO gas. One way of removing NO is the addition of CO to the exhaust. Identify oxidizing and reducing agent. Write a balanced equation.

Answer 1

I was under the impression that NO gas was colorless. The NO2 is red/brown but NO can form NO2 in smoke stacks. However, the equation follows:

2NO + 2CO ==> 2CO2 + N2

NO is being reduced (specifically the N atom). CO is being oxidized (specifically the C atom).