Question

What is the reducing agent in the following reaction? Cr3+ because it loses electrons Na because it loses electrons Cr3+ because it gains electrons Na because it gains electrons

Answer 1

B.Na because it loses electrons

Answer 2

Cr3+ is the reducing agent in the redox reaction because it loses electrons as it goes from the +3 to the +6 oxidation state, acting as the provider of electrons.

In the redox reaction described, the reducing agent is the species that loses electrons.

Here, the Cr atom goes from the +3 to the +6 oxidation state, meaning it must lose three electrons to do so.

This loss of electrons is an oxidation process, which makes the Cr3+ ion the reducing agent because it is providing electrons to another species and itself is being oxidized.

The chemical equations provided indicate that the number of electrons lost by the reducing agent must equal the number gained by the oxidant.

Thus, the number balance of electrons is critical to validate that a redox reaction is properly balanced. In summary, Cr3+ is the reducing agent because it loses electrons during the reaction.