Question

Which can act as a reducing agent hno3 h2so4 h2s kmno4?

Answer 1

Among the given substances, Hydrogen sulfide acts as a reducing agent.

• Nitric acid, HNO₃, acts as an oxidizing agent. The oxidative effect of nitric acid is attributed to the nitrogen atom with a +5 oxidation state.
• Potassium permanganate is also a powerful oxidizing agent. In a redox reaction, it oxidizes the reductant while itself gets reduced to manganese dioxide.
• Sulfuric acid is also an oxidant whose oxidizing effect is attributed to the release of nascent oxygen on degradation.
• Hydrogen Sulfide is a reducing agent. The reducing property is attributed to the sulfur atom, which is in its lowest oxidation state, -2. Hence, it gets oxidized, reducing the other substances.