Final answer:
To determine if an element or compound is an oxidizing agent or acid, you can look at the charges of atoms to see if they increase or decrease. Compounds with elements in high oxidation states tend to act as oxidants, while compounds with elements in low oxidation states tend to act as reductants. An oxidation-reduction reaction is likely to occur when these compounds react with each other.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to determine what is being oxidized and reduced, we must look at charges of atoms and see if they increase or decrease. If the charge increases, the atom was oxidized. If the charge decreases, the atom was reduced.
Compounds of elements in high oxidation states tend to act as oxidants and become reduced in chemical reactions. When an aqueous solution of a compound that contains an element in a high oxidation state is mixed with an aqueous solution of a compound that contains an element in a low oxidation state, an oxidation-reduction reaction is likely to occur.
Compounds of elements in low oxidation states tend to act as reductants and become oxidized in chemical reactions.