In a redox reaction, which statement is true about oxidizing and reducing agents?

• A. The oxidizing agent donates electrons and is oxidized.
• B. The oxidizing agent accepts electrons and is reduced.
• C. Electrons are transferred but not between any reactants; it's a proton exchange.
• D. Redox reactions do not involve electron transfer.

Answer: (B)

In redox reactions, electrons move from the substance being oxidized to the substance being reduced. The oxidizing agent is the one that accepts those electrons, so it is reduced. The reducing agent donates electrons and is oxidized. So the true statement is that the oxidizing agent accepts electrons and is reduced. Protons may move in some reactions, but the defining feature is electron transfer between reactants. The other ideas—oxidizing agents donating electrons, no electron transfer occurring, or electrons not moving at all—don’t fit the fundamental concept.