48. NCERT Exemplar XXI

  

An oxidising agent (oxidant) is a substance that oxidizedburnedreducedmelted another substance (by losing electrons or removing hydrogen or adding oxygen, or increasing oxidation state) while also being reduced.

 

\(CuO\) + \(H_2\) → \(Cu\) + \(H_2O\)

 

In the above reaction, the oxidising agentreducing agentburning agentmelting agent is a copper oxide (\(CuO\)). Copper's oxidising state has changed from \(+2\) to \(0\) in the reactants and products. \(CuO\) acts as an melting agentoxidising agentburning agentreducing agent in this process since it has been reducedmeltedoxidizedburned.