Tag: oxidising agent
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How does copper react with nitric acid?
Copper is an unreactive metal and doesn’t react in normal circumstances with dilute acids. However it does react with nitric acid. Why is this? Nitric acid is an oxidising agent and the reaction is not the usual acid + metal reaction. The products are oxides of nitrogen instead of hydrogen. The actual nitrogen oxide formed…
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Why can hydrogen peroxide act as both an oxidising agent and a reducing agent?
Hydrogen peroxide has the ability to gain or lose electrons, as its oxygen atoms are in the -1 oxidation state. By gaining electrons they can go to the -2 oxidation state, and by losing electrons they can go to the zero oxidation state (the element) When someting acts as an oxidising agent is gains electrons…