Remembering oxidizing and reducing?

[Cofo]

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Am I just supposed to remember which reagents are oxidizing or reducing?

Or is there some way of knowing if a reagent is oxidizing or reducing just by looking at it?

 

[Ibracadabra]

Are you talking about OChem or Gchem?
For Gchem, i think they give you a redox reaction, so you should be able to look at which ones get reduced(the oxidizing agent) and which ones get oxidized(the reducing agent).

For Ochem, i recall during ozonolysis you have oxidizing ones(give you a carboxylic acid from a terminal alkene) and reducing ones(which will give you an aldehyde from a terminal alkene)...

That's what i can think on the top of my head. hope it helps!

 

[UndergradGuy7]

Am I just supposed to remember which reagents are oxidizing or reducing?

Or is there some way of knowing if a reagent is oxidizing or reducing just by looking at it?

Memorize the reagents. But there is some similarity in the reagents. Like KmO4 or O3... lots of oxygens... so oxidizing.

LiAlH4... lots of hydrogens so reducing.

 

[lex1489]

Cofo I believe you're asking if we need to memorize all of the reagents? If Destroyer is any indication of the real test, I would say the answer is Yes. At the very least know
KMnO4 - strongest oxidizer
O3 (ozonolysis) - strong oxidizer, but I believe it's only for splitting an alkene into 2 carboxyilic acids
PCC - Only oxidizes to aldehyde
LAH (LiAlH4) - Strongest Reducer
NaBH4 - Only reduces from aldehyd and lower
H2/Pd, pt - weak reducer (not usually used with acids/ketones)

 

[DQLEUCD]

LEO the lion goes GER. If an atom LOSES ELECTRONS then it's Oxidizing and if it GAINS ELECTRONS then it's reducing.