Question

What does oxidizing mean in science?

Answer 1

It means liable to cause an oxidation reaction......

Explanation:

And the two most oxidizing species are `F_2` and `O_2`...and of course the act of oxidation these species are reduced to `F^-` and `O^(2-)` ions..........

Oxidation involves the formal loss of electrons.....

`Fe rarrFe^(3+) + 3e^(-)` `(i)`

And this is a way to quantify the reaction with say dioxygen......

And for every oxidation there is a corresponding REDUCTION, here of an OXIDIZING agent, a species that accepts electrons......

`O_2+4e^(-) rarr 2O^(2-)` `(ii)`

And so we take `4xx(i) + 3xx(ii)` to eliminate the electrons......

`4Fe +3O_2rarr2Fe_2O_3`