Chemistry question from TOPSCORE

[dentwannabe]

Ok, I had this question on a Chemistry question in topscore, maybe some of you chem people can help me.

the question is:

In the following, what is the oxidizing agent?

PbO(s) + CO(g) ---> Pb(s) + CO2(g)

a. PbO
b. CO
c. Pb
D. CO2
e. none of these.

now, from my reasoning, the oxidizing agent is the one that is REDUCED am i right? Now.. in PbO, Pb goes from +2 to 0, (PbO ---> Pb(s)).
+2 to 0, is gaining electrons, since reduction involves gain, I said ok, Pb must be reduced, therefore its the oxidizing agent.

However, topscore says the answer is A, PbO is the oxidizing agent.

Why is that?? Why do they count the whole molecule as oxidizing agent, when in Kaplan book they split it up into elements and identify elements as oxidizing/reducing agents.

or maybe im totally wrong here.

someone help, please! times running out...........

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[xylashellx]

i answered the same way on that question...im waiting for someone to explain this to us

 

[Generallee]

i answered the same way on that question...im waiting for someone to explain this to us

Same with me....I'm thinking it is an error....hmmmmm

 

[mochafreak]

Ok, I had this question on a Chemistry question in topscore, maybe some of you chem people can help me.

the question is:

In the following, what is the oxidizing agent?

PbO(s) + CO(g) ---> Pb(s) + CO2(g)

a. PbO
b. CO
c. Pb
D. CO2
e. none of these.

now, from my reasoning, the oxidizing agent is the one that is REDUCED am i right? Now.. in PbO, Pb goes from +2 to 0, (PbO ---> Pb(s)).
+2 to 0, is gaining electrons, since reduction involves gain, I said ok, Pb must be reduced, therefore its the oxidizing agent.

However, topscore says the answer is A, PbO is the oxidizing agent.

Why is that?? Why do they count the whole molecule as oxidizing agent, when in Kaplan book they split it up into elements and identify elements as oxidizing/reducing agents.

or maybe im totally wrong here.

someone help, please! times running out...........

PbO is the oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent is a compound. It gets reduced to Pb (an atom), while it is oxidizing. Remember from the Kaplan Ochem review that compounds with lots of oxygen (potassium permanganate, etc.) are oxidizing agents.

 

[dentwannabe]

PbO is the oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent is a compound. It gets reduced to Pb (an atom), while it is oxidizing. Remember from the Kaplan Ochem review that compounds with lots of oxygen (potassium permanganate, etc.) are oxidizing agents.

in kaplan white book pg. 952 in redox sexn, they explain,

SnCl2 + PbCl4 ---> SnCl4 + PbCl2

they explain that,
"Pb is the oxidizing agent"

and "Sn goes from +2 to +4... making it the reducing agent"

How come in kaplan they didnt go for the entire compound?

 

[mochafreak]

Hmmm...I don't know honestly. I don't really like Kaplan. I know I learned it that way in class and that is also how Examkrackers explains it...see page 111 of their chemistry book (I checked it to make sure I was right).

 

[cowsgomoo]

Ok, I had this question on a Chemistry question in topscore, maybe some of you chem people can help me.

the question is:

In the following, what is the oxidizing agent?

PbO(s) + CO(g) ---> Pb(s) + CO2(g)

a. PbO
b. CO
c. Pb
D. CO2
e. none of these.

now, from my reasoning, the oxidizing agent is the one that is REDUCED am i right? Now.. in PbO, Pb goes from +2 to 0, (PbO ---> Pb(s)).
+2 to 0, is gaining electrons, since reduction involves gain, I said ok, Pb must be reduced, therefore its the oxidizing agent.

However, topscore says the answer is A, PbO is the oxidizing agent.

Why is that?? Why do they count the whole molecule as oxidizing agent, when in Kaplan book they split it up into elements and identify elements as oxidizing/reducing agents.

or maybe im totally wrong here.

someone help, please! times running out...........

The question is asking what agent of the four shown in the reaction gets reduced and acts like an oxidizing agent. Yes it’s true that Pb is what gets reduced but it’s not Pb (without any charge) that is being reduced it is Pb2+ that is being reduced to Pb (no charge). So the only answer that correlates is the PbO compound.

I hope this helps (I may have confused you even more).

 

[mahme]

The question is asking what agent of the four shown in the reaction gets reduced and acts like an oxidizing agent. Yes it’s true that Pb is what gets reduced but it’s not Pb (without any charge) that is being reduced it is Pb2+ that is being reduced to Pb (no charge). So the only answer that correlates is the PbO compound.

I hope this helps (I may have confused you even more).

This is the right answer, I believe.

 

[dat_student]

This is the right answer, I believe.

I agree. PbO is the right answer.

 

[dentwannabe]

The question is asking what agent of the four shown in the reaction gets reduced and acts like an oxidizing agent. Yes it’s true that Pb is what gets reduced but it’s not Pb (without any charge) that is being reduced it is Pb2+ that is being reduced to Pb (no charge). So the only answer that correlates is the PbO compound.

I hope this helps (I may have confused you even more).

No, you cleared it up. for the most part.

Thanks, everyone.