Question

In the following redox reaction, which is the oxidizing agent and which is the reducing agent?

AlCl3 + Na → NaCl + Al
Oxidizing agent -
Reducing agent -

Answer 1

In the redox reaction AlCl3 + Na → NaCl + Al, Al is the reducing agent and Na is the oxidizing agent.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the redox reaction: AlCl3 + Na → NaCl + Al

The oxidizing agent is the substance that gets reduced, and the reducing agent is the substance that gets oxidized. In this reaction, Al is getting oxidized from its elemental state to a +3 oxidation state as Al3+. Therefore, Al is the reducing agent. Na is getting reduced from its +1 oxidation state as Na to a 0 oxidation state. Therefore, Na is the oxidizing agent.