Hydrogen peroxide is

Options

A. an oxidising agent
B. a reducing agent
C. both an oxidising and a reducing agent
D. neither oxidising nor reducing agent

Explanation

To determine the nature of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in terms of its oxidizing and reducing properties, we can analyze its behavior in different chemical reactions.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Hydrogen Peroxide**:
- Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a chemical compound with the formula H₂O₂. It consists of two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms.

2. **Identifying Oxidizing and Reducing Agents**:
- An **oxidizing agent** is a substance that gains electrons in a chemical reaction, causing another substance to be oxidized.
- A **reducing agent** is a substance that loses electrons, causing another substance to be reduced.

3. **Example Reaction with KI**:
- When H₂O₂ reacts with potassium iodide (KI), it produces potassium hydroxide (KOH) and iodine (I₂):
\[ \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 + 2 \text{KI} \rightarrow 2 \text{KOH} + \text{I}_2 \]
- In this reaction, the oxidation state of iodine changes from -1 (in KI) to 0 (in I₂), indicating that oxidation has occurred. Therefore, H₂O₂ acts as an **oxidizing agent** in this reaction.

4. **Example Reaction with Ag₂O**:
- When H₂O₂ reacts with silver oxide (Ag₂O), it produces silver (Ag) and water (H₂O):
\[ \text{H}_2\text{O}_2 + \text{Ag}_2\text{O} \rightarrow 2 \text{Ag} + 2 \text{H}_2\text{O} \]
- In this case, the oxidation state of silver changes from +1 (in Ag₂O) to 0 (in Ag), indicating that reduction has occurred. Here, H₂O₂ acts as a **reducing agent**.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Since H₂O₂ can act as both an oxidizing agent (when it oxidizes KI) and a reducing agent (when it reduces Ag₂O), we conclude that hydrogen peroxide is both an oxidizing and reducing agent.

### Final Answer:
- The correct option is **C: both oxidizing and reducing agent**.

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