oxidizing agent - Alternate meanings, Common oxidizing agents, Common oxidizing agents and their products

A substance which oxidizes another in a chemical reaction, being itself reduced in the process. The most important is oxygen gas (O₂), which is reduced to O^2?, OH^?, or H₂O when it oxidizes a metal.

Oxygen (O) has been reduced because the oxidation number has decreased and is the oxidizing agent because it took electrons from iron (Fe)

Alternate meanings

Because the process of oxidation is so widespread (explosives, chemical synthesis, corrosion), the term oxidizing agent has acquired multiple meanings.

Common oxidizing agents

Hypochlorite and other hypohalite compounds such as Bleach Iodine and other halogens Chlorite, chlorate, perchlorate, and other analogous halogen compounds Permanganate salts Ammonium cerium(IV) nitrate and probably related Cerium(IV) compounds Hexavalent chromium compounds such as chromic and dichromic acids and chromium trioxide, Pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC), and chromate/dichromate compounds Peroxide compounds Tollen's Reagent sulfoxides Persulfuric acid Ozone Osmium tetroxide ([OsO4) Nitric acid

Common oxidizing agents and their products

Agent	Product(s)
O2 oxygen	Various including oxides, H2O, or CO2
O3 ozone	Various including ketones and aldehydes, H2O, see ozonolysis
F2 fluorine	F−
Cl2 chlorine	Cl−
Br2 bromine	Br−
I2 iodine	I
ClO− hypochlorite	Cl−, H2O
ClO3− chlorate	Cl−, H2O
HNO3 nitric acid	NO nitric oxide NO2 nitrogen dioxide
Hexavalent chromium CrO3 chromium(VI) oxide CrO42− chromate Cr2O72− dichromate	Cr3+, H2O
MnO4− permanganate MnO42− manganate	Mn2+ (acidic) or MnO2 (basic)
H2O2, other peroxides	Various including oxides, H2O

There are many other oxidizing agents;