[INeedSerotonin]

Hello. All of these reactions have their voltage on the right. I was asked "Is Ni²⁺ the best reducing agent?", to which I answered "yes", and the exercise said "no."

I don't know why this is so. If nickel has the most negative reducing potential, it looks to me like it wants to oxidize. And if it wants to do so, than it is a great reducing agent.

Am I right?

[chenbeier]

It would be the opposit. Nickel metal would be the best reducing agent. Silver is noble, nickel innoble.

[INeedSerotonin]

It would be the opposit. Nickel metal would be the best reducing agent. Silver is noble, nickel innoble.

It does make sense! I guess the answer I was given is wrong then. Thank you! 

[Borek]

Question asked about metallic Ni or Ni²⁺? These are quite different things.

[INeedSerotonin]

Question asked about metallic Ni or Ni²⁺? These are quite different things.

The exercise mentions Ni²⁺.

[Borek]

Then we are not talking about the nickel metal which would be a reducing agent, but about a cation which is not.

[INeedSerotonin]

Then we are not talking about the nickel metal which would be a reducing agent, but about a cation which is not.

It does make sense. I hadn't noticed how, when we invert the nickel's reduction reaction, it goes from an oxidizing agent to a reducing agent.

I think I got it now.

Thanks! 

[Babcock_Hall]

It does make sense. I hadn't noticed how, when we invert the nickel's reduction reaction, it goes from an oxidizing agent to a reducing agent.

Ni is a reducing agent, and Ni(II) is an oxidizing agent.  I am not sure what you mean by inverting a reduction reaction, but I don't see how it changes something from being an oxidizing agent to a reducing agent.