Which of the following is the strongest oxidizing agent ?

Options

A. `HOCl`
B. `HClO_(2)`
C. `HClO_3`
D. `HClO_4`

Explanation

To determine which of the given options is the strongest oxidizing agent, we need to analyze the oxidation states of the compounds involved and understand the concept of oxidizing agents.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Concept of Oxidizing Agents**:
- An oxidizing agent is a substance that gains electrons (is reduced) while causing another substance to lose electrons (is oxidized). The stronger the oxidizing agent, the more readily it accepts electrons.

2. **Identify the Compounds**:
- The question presents several compounds (not specified in the transcript, but we will assume they are related to chlorine oxoacids based on the context).

3. **Determine Oxidation States**:
- Let's calculate the oxidation states for the relevant compounds:
- For **HClO**:
- H = +1, O = -2, thus Cl = +1 (1 + x - 2 = 0 → x = +1)
- For **HClO2**:
- H = +1, O = -2 (2 O atoms), thus Cl = +3 (1 + x - 4 = 0 → x = +3)
- For **HClO3**:
- H = +1, O = -2 (3 O atoms), thus Cl = +5 (1 + x - 6 = 0 → x = +5)
- For **HClO4**:
- H = +1, O = -2 (4 O atoms), thus Cl = +7 (1 + x - 8 = 0 → x = +7)

4. **Analyze Oxidation States**:
- The oxidation state of chlorine increases from HClO (+1) to HClO4 (+7). The higher the oxidation state, the stronger the oxidizing ability because it indicates a greater tendency to gain electrons.

5. **Identify the Strongest Oxidizing Agent**:
- Among the compounds analyzed, **HClO4** has the highest oxidation state of +7. This indicates that it has lost the most electrons and has a strong tendency to gain electrons, making it the strongest oxidizing agent.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the strongest oxidizing agent among the given options is **HClO4**.

### Final Answer:
The strongest oxidizing agent is **HClO4**.