Oxidizing Agent
<p >An <b>oxidizing agent</b> (also called an <b>oxidant</b>, <b>oxidizer</b> or <b>oxidiser</b>) can be defined as a substance that removes electrons from another reactant in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redox" title="Redox" >redox</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_reaction" title="Chemical reaction" >chemical reaction</a>. The oxidizing agent is "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redox" title="Redox" >reduced</a>" by taking electrons onto itself and the reactant is "oxidized" by having its electrons taken away. </p>
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Oxygen is the prime example of an oxidizing agent, but it is only one among many.
In simple terms:</p>
<ul >
<li >The oxidizing agent is <i>reduced</i>.</li>
<li >The reducing agent is <i>oxidized</i>.</li>
<li >All atoms in a molecule can be assigned an <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidation_number" title="Oxidation number" >oxidation number</a></i>. This number changes when an oxidant acts on a substrate.</li>
<li >Redox reactions occur when <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidation_state" title="Oxidation state" >oxidation states</a></i> of the reactants change.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
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<h2 >Common oxidizing agents</h2>
<ul >
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen" title="Oxygen" >Oxygen</a> (O<sub >2</sub>)</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone" title="Ozone" >Ozone</a> (O<sub >3</sub>)</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide" title="Hydrogen peroxide" >Hydrogen peroxide</a> (H<sub >2</sub>O<sub >2</sub>) and other inorganic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peroxide" title="Peroxide" >peroxides</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorine" title="Fluorine" >Fluorine</a> (F<sub >2</sub>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine" title="Chlorine" >chlorine</a> (Cl<sub >2</sub>), and other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halogen" title="Halogen" >halogens</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitric_acid" title="Nitric acid" >Nitric acid</a> (HNO<sub >3</sub>) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrate" title="Nitrate" >nitrate</a> compounds</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfuric_acid" title="Sulfuric acid" >Sulfuric acid</a> (H<sub >2</sub>SO<sub >4</sub>)</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persulfuric_acid" title="Persulfuric acid" class="mw-redirect" >Persulfuric acids</a> (H<sub >2</sub>SO<sub >5</sub> and H<sub >2</sub>SO<sub >8</sub>)</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorite" title="Chlorite" >Chlorite</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorate" title="Chlorate" >chlorate</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perchlorate" title="Perchlorate" >perchlorate</a>, and other analogous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halogen" title="Halogen" >halogen</a> compounds</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypochlorite" title="Hypochlorite" >Hypochlorite</a> and other hypohalite compounds, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach" title="Bleach" >household bleach</a> (NaClO)</li>
<li >Hexavalent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium" title="Chromium" >chromium</a> compounds such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromic_acid" title="Chromic acid" >chromic and dichromic acids and chromium trioxide</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyridinium_chlorochromate" title="Pyridinium chlorochromate" >pyridinium chlorochromate</a> (PCC), and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromate" title="Chromate" class="mw-redirect" >chromate/dichromate</a> compounds</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanganate" title="Permanganate" >Permanganate</a> compounds</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_perborate" title="Sodium perborate" >Sodium perborate</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxide" title="Nitrous oxide" >Nitrous oxide</a> (N<sub >2</sub>O)</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_oxide" title="Silver oxide" >Silver oxide</a> (Ag<sub >2</sub>O)</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmium_tetroxide" title="Osmium tetroxide" >Osmium tetroxide</a> (OsO<sub >4</sub>)</li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tollens%27_reagent" title="Tollens' reagent" >Tollens' reagent</a></li>
<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,2%27-Dipyridyldisulfide" title="2,2'-Dipyridyldisulfide" >2,2'-Dipyridyldisulfide</a> (DPS)</li>
</ul>
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<h2 >Dangerous materials definition</h2>
<p >The dangerous materials definition of an <b>oxidizing agent</b> is a substance that is not necessarily combustible, but may, generally by yielding oxygen, cause or contribute to the combustion of other material (Australian Dangerous Goods Code, 6th Edition). By this definition some materials that are classified as oxidizing agents by analytical chemists are not classified as oxidizing agents in a dangerous materials sense. An example is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_dichromate" title="Potassium dichromate" >potassium dichromate</a>, which does not pass the dangerous goods test of an oxidizing agent.
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