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Oxidation and reduction are two complementary chemical processes that involve the transfer of electrons between substances. Oxidation occurs when a substance loses electrons, while reduction happens when a substance gains electrons.

These reactions often occur simultaneously in what’s called a redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction. For example, in the rusting of iron, iron undergoes oxidation (losing electrons) while oxygen is reduced (gaining electrons), resulting in iron oxide, or rust. These processes are essential in many natural and industrial applications, including energy production in batteries, metabolism in living organisms, and metal corrosion.

In redox reactions, the substance that loses electrons is called the reducing agent, and the one that gains electrons is the oxidizing agent.