Reducing agent

A substance that donates electrons to another substance, reducing it while the donor is oxidized. Reducing agents include atoms, ions, and molecules.

Oxidation–reduction reaction: A chemical reaction involving electron transfer or changes in oxidation states. A reducing agent is one half of this paired oxidation-and-reduction process.
Electron: A negatively charged elementary particle found in atoms and involved in chemical bonding. Its transfer is the defining action of a reducing agent.
Blast furnace: A tall industrial furnace that extracts iron from iron ore using carbon monoxide and carbon. Carbon monoxide reduces iron oxides to metallic iron during smelting.
Oxidizing agent: A substance that accepts electrons from another substance, oxidizing it while itself being reduced. It is the electron-accepting counterpart to a reducing agent.
Oxidation state: A formal charge assigned to an atom by treating its bonds as ionic. An increase in the agent’s oxidation state tracks its electron loss.
Reduction: A chemical process in which a species gains electrons or has its oxidation state lowered. The reducing agent causes this change in its reaction partner.
Lithium-ion battery: A rechargeable battery that stores energy through lithium-ion movement and reversible electrode reactions. During discharge, the negative electrode material acts as a reducing agent.
Oxidizing agent strength: The tendency of an oxidizing agent to accept electrons in a redox reaction. A strong electron acceptor can drive a reducing agent’s oxidation.
Electrochemical potential: A measure of the tendency of a chemical species to gain or lose electrons in a redox process. Potential differences help predict whether an agent will transfer electrons spontaneously.
Oxidation: A chemical process in which a species loses electrons or has its oxidation state raised. The reducing agent undergoes oxidation as it supplies electrons.

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