How do you experimentally determine a substance's oxidising power?

You can determine a substance's oxidising power by observing its reaction with known reducing agents in a redox reaction.

To experimentally determine a substance's oxidising power, you would need to conduct a series of redox reactions. Redox reactions are chemical reactions involving the transfer of electrons from one substance to another. In these reactions, the substance that gains electrons is called the oxidising agent, because it causes the other substance to be oxidised (lose electrons).

To start, you would need a selection of known reducing agents. These are substances that have a known tendency to lose electrons and cause other substances to be reduced (gain electrons). You would then react each of these reducing agents with the substance whose oxidising power you want to determine.

The reactions should be carried out under controlled conditions, such as at a constant temperature, and the results carefully observed and recorded. You would look for signs of a chemical reaction, such as a change in colour, the formation of a precipitate, or the release of gas.

By comparing the reactions of the different reducing agents with the test substance, you can rank them in order of their ability to cause the test substance to be reduced. The more easily a reducing agent causes the test substance to be reduced, the stronger the oxidising power of the test substance.

It's important to note that this is a relative measure of oxidising power. It tells you how the oxidising power of the test substance compares to that of other substances, but it doesn't give you an absolute measure of oxidising power. For that, you would need to use more sophisticated techniques, such as electrochemical methods.

Remember, safety is paramount when conducting these experiments. Always wear appropriate protective equipment and work in a well-ventilated area.