Question

Identify the species oxidized, the species reduced, the oxidizing agent and the reducing agent in the following electron-transfer reaction.

Hg^2+(aq) + 2Cr^2+(aq) → Hg(s) + 2Cr^3+(aq)

Answer 1

Oxidized and reducing agent: chromium.

Reduced and oxidizing agent: mercury.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hello!

In this case, for the reaction:

`Hg^(2+)(aq) + 2Cr^(2+)(aq)\rightarrow Hg(s) + 2Cr^(3+)(aq)`

We keep in mind that the species that increase the oxidation state is the oxidized one whereas the one that decrease the oxidation state is the reduced one; therefore chromium is the oxidized one as well as the reducing agent because it goes from +2 to +3 and mercury the reduced one as well as the oxidizing agent because it goes from 2+ to 0.

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