Identifying Reducing and Oxidizing Agents

Definition:
- A reducing agent is a substance that donates electrons, causing another substance to be reduced.
- An oxidizing agent is a substance that accepts electrons, causing another substance to be oxidized.

Steps to Identify:
1. Assign Oxidation Numbers: Determine the oxidation numbers of each element in the reaction.
2. Compare Oxidation Numbers: The element that increases its oxidation number is oxidized (oxidizing agent), while the element that decreases its oxidation number is reduced (reducing agent).
3. Look for Changes: Identify any changes in the oxidation states before and after the reaction to determine the oxidizing and reducing agents.

Tricks to Remember:
- Remember "LEO the lion says GER": Loss of Electrons is Oxidation, Gain of Electrons is Reduction.
- A reducing agent itself gets oxidized and loses electrons, while an oxidizing agent itself gets reduced and gains electrons.

Example:
In the reaction: 2Fe(s) + 3Cu^2+(aq) -> 2Fe^3+(aq) + 3Cu(s)
- Fe is oxidized from 0 to +3 (reducing agent)
- Cu^2+ is reduced from +2 to 0 (oxidizing agent)

By following these steps and tricks, you can easily identify the reducing and oxidizing agents in a chemical reaction.