Question

Which chemical is the reducing agent in the redox reaction below?

Answer 1

Option (a) is correct.

A reducing agent is the one which loses electrons to other substance.

Here, Zn has oxidation number 0 in the L.H.S of the equation, but on R.H.S its oxidation number is +2 i.e. it Zn has donated two of its electrons to $Fe^{2+}$.

Hence, Zn is the reducing agent here.