Which type of agent readily accepts electrons and oxidizes other agents?

An oxidizing agent is a substance that readily accepts electrons during a chemical reaction. This characteristic allows it to facilitate oxidation in other substances. When an oxidizing agent gains electrons, it is itself reduced, while simultaneously causing another substance to lose electrons and thus become oxidized. Oxidizing agents are critical in redox (oxidation-reduction) reactions, as they drive the process of electron transfer.

For example, in a reaction involving a metal and a non-metal, the non-metal often serves as the oxidizing agent, accepting electrons from the metal and thereby causing it to oxidize. Common oxidizing agents include substances like oxygen, chlorine, and potassium permanganate, all of which can accept electrons and promote oxidation in other substances.

In contrast, while reducing agents donate electrons and reduce other substances, neutral agents do not facilitate oxidation-reduction reactions, and catalysts do not change oxidation states; they simply speed up reactions without being consumed. Thus, the role of an oxidizing agent is fundamental in understanding how redox reactions work in chemistry.