CBSE Class 10 Answered

Firstly, what isa redox reaction:

A redox reaction is a reaction in which two reactions take palce simultaneously. these two reactions are oxidation and reduction.

Now, oxidation is a reaction which is defined as:

one in which oxygen is gained or hydrogen is lost.

Reduction is the reverse process. that is

one in which oxygen is lost or hydrogen is gained.

Both these processes are occuring simultaneously in a redox reaction.

For example:

C + ZnO CO + Zn

In this redox reaction, C CO is oxidation reaction. Since oxygen is gained by the reactant. C is also said to be oxidised.

Also, ZnO Zn is reduction reaction since reactant ZnO has lost oxygen.

ZnO is said to be reduced.

ZnO is the oxidising agent since it is getting reduced itself but oxidising C by providing O to it.
So, to define an oxidising agent, it is a substance which gets reduced itself but oxidises others is called oxidising agent. In simple temrs: an agent to carry out oxidise others.