In the reaction shown, which species is oxidized?

In a redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction, oxidation refers to the process where an atom, ion, or molecule loses electrons. In the context of the given reaction involving zinc (Zn) and copper ions (Cu²⁺), we can analyze the changes in oxidation states to determine which species is oxidized.

Zinc in its elemental form (Zn) starts with an oxidation state of 0. When zinc reacts in this type of reaction, it commonly loses two electrons to form zinc ions (Zn²⁺). This change in oxidation state from 0 to +2 indicates that zinc has undergone oxidation, as it has lost electrons.

On the other hand, copper ions (Cu²⁺) typically gain the electrons lost by zinc, reducing their oxidation state from +2 to 0, as the Cu²⁺ ions transform into elemental copper (Cu). This process demonstrates the reduction of copper ions.

Thus, in this specified reaction, zinc is the species that is oxidized because its transformation from Zn to Zn²⁺ involves the loss of electrons, which is the defining characteristic of oxidation.