what is an oxidizing agent

An oxidizing agent is a substance that causes oxidation by accepting electrons and thus becoming reduced. It is a reactant that removes electrons from other reactants during a redox reaction. Oxidizing agents are also known as electron acceptors, oxidants, or oxidizers. They are substances in a redox chemical reaction that gain or "accept"/"receive" an electron from a reducing agent. In other words, an oxidizer is any substance that oxidizes another substance. The oxidation state, which describes the degree of loss of electrons, of the oxidizer decreases while that of the reductant increases. Common examples of oxidizing agents include halogens (such as chlorine and fluorine), oxygen, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), potassium nitrate, and nitric acid/Electrochemistry/Redox_Chemistry/Oxidizing_and_Reducing_Agents). Strong oxidizing agents can react energetically with active metals, cyanides, esters, and thiocyanates. Oxidizing agents are important in industrial applications such as purifying water, bleaching fabrics, and storing energy (such as in batteries and gasoline)/Electrochemistry/Redox_Chemistry/Oxidizing_and_Reducing_Agents).