Strongest reducing agent

[reising1]

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How does one go about identifying the strongest reducing agent from a list of half reactions and potentials? Note that this list does not have to be only reductions. It is a mixture of reductions and oxidations.

What about identifying the strongest oxidizing agent?

 

[Patassa]

How does one go about identifying the strongest reducing agent from a list of half reactions and potentials? Note that this list does not have to be only reductions. It is a mixture of reductions and oxidations.

What about identifying the strongest oxidizing agent?

Strongest reducing agent will be the one with the least electron affinity, or more willing to give up electrons. ex, I'm just gonna make up numbers here.

Li ---> Li+ + e- Emf= 7

H ---> H+ + e- Emf = 0

F ---> F+ + e- Emf= -1

Therefore, Li is your stronger reducing agent. Inverse of this process for oxidation. Florine's high electron affinity means it's a stronger oxidizing agent than these other two.

Emf is just a different way to express electron affinity. Make sense?