
Good reducing agents belong to:
(A) Group IA
(B) Group IIA
(C) Group IIIA
(D) Group VIA
(E) Group VIIA
Answer
409.8k+ views
Hint :Reducing agents are the active elements that undergo oxidation, where they lose (donate) electrons and reduce the other element. Looking at period trends, some elements can lose electrons easier than other elements.
Complete Step By Step Answer:
A reducing agent is any substance that loses its electron to other substances in a redox reaction and gets oxidised itself.
Simply put, it reduces the other elements by giving out electrons.
Atoms, ions and molecules that can easily lose their electrons make good reducing agents.
All good reducing agents have a low electronegativity. Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract a shared pair of electrons towards itself. Therefore a low electronegativity implies they can give away electrons easier than other atoms.
Also, good reducing agents have very small ionization energies which is the amount of energy an electron has to absorb to come out of the influence of the nucleus. Thus a low ionization energy ensures that electrons can leave the atoms without much energy required to do so.
Across a period, the size of the atom decreases which in turn increases the effective nuclear charge. This makes the electrons get tightly held to the nucleus.
Therefore, reducing agents are stronger in lower group numbers.
With all these points, the answer to this question is (A) group IA.
Group IA contains alkali metals which are very reactive, and have only one electron in their valence shell. This allows them to lose that one electron easily.
Also, they are the largest atoms (atomic size) which implies a lower nuclear charge on the outermost electron.
Therefore, good reducing agents belong to group IA (Option (A)).
Additional Information:
Across the period, oxidising ability increases. Therefore in the options given above, good oxidising agents would belong to group VIIA.
Note :
Such questions require your knowledge on periodic trends along with an understanding of redox reactions. Components of redox reactions (reduced and oxidised substances, reducing and oxidising agents) are important. Also, you need to know how to identify such substances in a redox reaction.
Complete Step By Step Answer:
A reducing agent is any substance that loses its electron to other substances in a redox reaction and gets oxidised itself.
Simply put, it reduces the other elements by giving out electrons.
Atoms, ions and molecules that can easily lose their electrons make good reducing agents.
All good reducing agents have a low electronegativity. Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract a shared pair of electrons towards itself. Therefore a low electronegativity implies they can give away electrons easier than other atoms.
Also, good reducing agents have very small ionization energies which is the amount of energy an electron has to absorb to come out of the influence of the nucleus. Thus a low ionization energy ensures that electrons can leave the atoms without much energy required to do so.
Across a period, the size of the atom decreases which in turn increases the effective nuclear charge. This makes the electrons get tightly held to the nucleus.
Therefore, reducing agents are stronger in lower group numbers.
With all these points, the answer to this question is (A) group IA.
Group IA contains alkali metals which are very reactive, and have only one electron in their valence shell. This allows them to lose that one electron easily.
Also, they are the largest atoms (atomic size) which implies a lower nuclear charge on the outermost electron.
Therefore, good reducing agents belong to group IA (Option (A)).
Additional Information:
Across the period, oxidising ability increases. Therefore in the options given above, good oxidising agents would belong to group VIIA.
Note :
Such questions require your knowledge on periodic trends along with an understanding of redox reactions. Components of redox reactions (reduced and oxidised substances, reducing and oxidising agents) are important. Also, you need to know how to identify such substances in a redox reaction.
Recently Updated Pages
Glucose when reduced with HI and red Phosphorus gives class 11 chemistry CBSE

The highest possible oxidation states of Uranium and class 11 chemistry CBSE

Find the value of x if the mode of the following data class 11 maths CBSE

Which of the following can be used in the Friedel Crafts class 11 chemistry CBSE

A sphere of mass 40 kg is attracted by a second sphere class 11 physics CBSE

Statement I Reactivity of aluminium decreases when class 11 chemistry CBSE

Trending doubts
One Metric ton is equal to kg A 10000 B 1000 C 100 class 11 physics CBSE

How many valence electrons does nitrogen have class 11 chemistry CBSE

Write down 5 differences between Ntype and Ptype s class 11 physics CBSE

Soap bubble appears coloured due to the phenomenon class 11 physics CBSE

Proton was discovered by A Thomson B Rutherford C Chadwick class 11 chemistry CBSE

How is the brain protected from injury and shock class 11 biology CBSE
