American Chemical Society (ACS) Laboratory Safety Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Mastering Lab Safety Procedures!

In the context of chemistry, reducing agents are substances that can donate electrons or reduce another species in a chemical reaction. The correct choice identifies substances commonly recognized for their ability to act as reducing agents.

Hydrogen (H2) is a well-known reducing agent because it can readily react with other elements, such as metal oxides, to donate electrons and reduce them to their elemental state. Carbon (C), in various forms (like graphite or as soot), can also function as a reducing agent in metallurgical processes where it helps reduce metal oxides to produce metals. Gasoline, a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, contains compounds that can undergo oxidation, making it effective in certain reactions as a reducing agent. Acetic acid, while primarily known as a weak acid, can also participate in redox reactions where it may act as a reducing agent depending on the conditions.

The other answer choices include substances that do not generally act as reducing agents. For instance, oxides, acids, and bases primarily act as oxidizing agents or are neutral in redox reactions. Potassium nitrate, potassium permanganate, and sodium chromate are typically strong oxidizers, facilitating the loss of electrons from other materials. Lastly, water, salt, and mineral oils do