best oxidizing and reducing agent in periodic table

aisha

I need to find the best oxidizing and reducing agent in the periodic table and say why i chose what i chose.

I think the best oxidizing agent is Fluorine

and the best reducing agent is Lithium im not sure if my predictions are correct and if they are I dont know how to explain why I chose them.

Can someone please help me out?

Ouabache

What does oxidation and reduction mean?
How did you come to chose those particular elements?

Plastic Photon

Fluorine is the most electronegative element.

andrewchang

does this help?
http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/b...section7.rhtml

algebra_chem

how did you came up with lithium & florine?

do you think your answer makes sense???

Facial

If I understood your question correctly, I think the two extremes would be francium and flourine.

Gokul43201

Fluorine is correct. It has the greatest electronegativity and hence is a strong electron attractor. By a similar reasoning, try and figure out the other answer (it is not lithium).

Edit : Just realized this is over a month old

Simone Ce-Ce

Hi! Its nice to meet all of you!
I'm not sure I understand why fluorine is a strong oxidising agent... Isnt oxidation loss of electrons? Doesnt fluorine gain electrons? When fluorine pulls electrons to itself doesnt it increase in oxidation number meaning that it becomes oxidised and hence the reducing agent?

Borek

Oxidizing agent gets reduced, but it oxidizes something else. Similarly in the case of reduction - reducing agent reduces something, and it gets oxidized in the process.

Fluorine oxidizes almost everything - so it is a good oxidizing agent.

--
chemical calculators - buffer calculator, concentration calculator
www.titrations.info - all about titration methods

Cen42

You are right with Fluorine being the best oxidizing agent and your predictions of lithium being the best reducing agent is also is correct. Now it is true that Francium has the lowest ionization energy, but due to its large size it has a less polarizing cations, thus it is not the best reducing agent. Lithium relatively high ionization energy is counteracted by the large amount of energy released when the unusually small, highly polarizing Li+ cation interacts with the surrounding water molecules.

chemisttree

I'm glad we finally got that straightened out....

muks

i think fluorine repels the incoming electron due to thick electronic cloud.
the best answer to me is chlorine. because chlorine has maximum electron affinity in periodic table.
the second answer to me is caesium.. as reducing agent means which give electron easily, so i think caesium gives the electron much easily than lithium due to big size of caesium.

Similar Threads for: best oxidizing and reducing agent in periodic table
Thread	Forum	Replies
reducing and oxidizing agents	Biology, Chemistry & Other Homework	5
periodic table	Biology, Chemistry & Other Homework	2
Periodic Table	Introductory Physics Homework	2
reducing agent or not?	Biology	1
Periodic Table	General Physics	14

aisha	best oxidizing and reducing agent in periodic table Tweet I need to find the best oxidizing and reducing agent in the periodic table and say why i chose what i chose. I think the best oxidizing agent is Fluorine and the best reducing agent is Lithium im not sure if my predictions are correct and if they are I dont know how to explain why I chose them. Can someone please help me out?

Ouabache Blog Entries: 2 Recognitions: Homework Help Science Advisor	What does oxidation and reduction mean? How did you come to chose those particular elements?

andrewchang	best oxidizing and reducing agent in periodic table does this help? http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/b...section7.rhtml

algebra_chem	how did you came up with lithium & florine? do you think your answer makes sense???

Facial	If I understood your question correctly, I think the two extremes would be francium and flourine.

Gokul43201 Recognitions: Gold Member Science Advisor Staff Emeritus	Fluorine is correct. It has the greatest electronegativity and hence is a strong electron attractor. By a similar reasoning, try and figure out the other answer (it is not lithium). Edit : Just realized this is over a month old

Simone Ce-Ce	Hi! Its nice to meet all of you! I'm not sure I understand why fluorine is a strong oxidising agent... Isnt oxidation loss of electrons? Doesnt fluorine gain electrons? When fluorine pulls electrons to itself doesnt it increase in oxidation number meaning that it becomes oxidised and hence the reducing agent?

Borek Admin	Oxidizing agent gets reduced, but it oxidizes something else. Similarly in the case of reduction - reducing agent reduces something, and it gets oxidized in the process. Fluorine oxidizes almost everything - so it is a good oxidizing agent. -- chemical calculators - buffer calculator, concentration calculator www.titrations.info - all about titration methods

chemisttree Recognitions: Gold Member Homework Help Science Advisor	I'm glad we finally got that straightened out....

muks	i think fluorine repels the incoming electron due to thick electronic cloud. the best answer to me is chlorine. because chlorine has maximum electron affinity in periodic table. the second answer to me is caesium.. as reducing agent means which give electron easily, so i think caesium gives the electron much easily than lithium due to big size of caesium.