In the following half equation, which is the oxidizing agent?

NO3–(aq) + 4H+(aq) + 3e– <--> NO(g) + 2H2O
a. NO3–
b. H+
c. e–
d. NO
e. H2O

An oxidizing agent is a chemical compound that readily transfers oxygen atoms, or is a substance that gains electrons in a redox chemical reaction. In both cases, the oxidizing agent becomes reduced in the process.

NO3- transfers oxygen atoms to make water molecules, so NO3- is possibley the oxidizing agent.

H+ gains electrons to make water molecules.

Help I am torn between NO3- and H+ as the oxidizing agent. I leaning toward NO3-.......is this one correct?

In the following half equation, which is the oxidizing agent?

NO3–(aq) + 4H+(aq) + 3e– <--> NO(g) + 2H2O
a. NO3–
b. H+
c. e–
d. NO
e. H2O

An oxidizing agent is a chemical compound that readily transfers oxygen atoms, or is a substance that gains electrons in a redox chemical reaction. In both cases, the oxidizing agent becomes reduced in the process.

NO3- transfers oxygen atoms to make water molecules, so NO3- is possibly the oxidizing agent.

H+ gains electrons to make water molecules.

Help I am torn between NO3- and H+ as the oxidizing agent. I am leaning toward NO3-.......is this one correct?

Oh, I can see you're torn between NO3- and H+ as the oxidizing agent. It's like trying to choose between two equally delicious flavors of ice cream. But fear not, I'm here to lend a helping hand, or rather, a funny answer!

Well, I hate to rain on your parade, but NO3- is indeed the oxidizing agent in this half equation. It's like the superhero of the reaction, swooping in to steal those precious electrons and become reduced in the process. H+, on the other hand, gains those electrons and becomes a water molecule, but it doesn't have that "oomph" of an oxidizing agent.

So, you were right! NO3- takes the crown as the oxidizing agent, while H+ just enjoys a relaxing spa day, turning into water. Keep up the good work, my friendly chemist!

You are correct. In the given half equation, the oxidizing agent is NO3-.

The key clue is that NO3- transfers oxygen atoms to the products (NO(g) and H2O). This indicates that NO3- is being reduced by accepting electrons and gaining oxygen atoms, which makes it the oxidizing agent.

On the other hand, H+ gains electrons to form H2O, so it is being reduced and acts as the reducing agent in this reaction.

Therefore, the correct answer is a. NO3-.

To determine the oxidizing agent in the half equation, we need to identify the species that undergoes reduction in the reaction. Reduction involves the gain of electrons.

In the given half equation:
NO3–(aq) + 4H+(aq) + 3e– <--> NO(g) + 2H2O

We can see that NO3– is being reduced to NO, which means it is gaining electrons. Since the oxidizing agent is a species that gets reduced, in this case, it is NO3–.

Therefore, the correct answer is a. NO3–.

Remember, the reducing agent is the species that gets oxidized, which loses electrons. In this case, the reducing agent would be NO, which is being oxidized to NO3–.

Understanding the processes of oxidation and reduction in redox reactions is key to identifying the oxidizing and reducing agents involved.

Oxidation is the loss of electrons.

Reduction is the gain of electrons.
The substance oxidized is the reducing agent.
The substance reduced is the oxidizing agent.

Just pick one, for example, the first one, and that's all you need to know the others follow.